Bound
by Odin's Prayer
Summary: Sookie has rejected Bill and Eric, saying she doesn't want to hurt them any further. A visit to Fangtasia and an attempt at hiding gone wrong forces her to understand and accept something her heart tells her as true, that she and Eric really are bound.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer :

The characters in this story belong solely to Charlaine Harris and Alan Ball. I make no attempt to turn them into my own, and only the plot of this story is mine.

A/N First off, I would like to say a quick hello to the person who's reading this right now. Thank you for taking the time to check this story out. I'm not a very big fan of writing an author's note, so I'll just explain the long absence. The reason for that is I spent six entire months touring Italy in search of inspirations for a story, and I found some for this one when I was staring at the Trevi Fountain in Rome. Anyway, I've been obsessing over this one for quite some time, so now I'm uploading it. Please review and leave your comments at the end, thank you! Now, on to the story itself, just because I have nothing more to say.

Chapter 1

Eric sat in his leather office chair, running over Sookie's rejection of him and Bill. Obviously, she saw it as a necessary step in order to stop hurting them both, but Eric saw it differently. In his mind, it had been the wrong choice to make, since she effectively was stringing them both along in the forlorn hope that she would eventually make a decision.

_How can she even love Bill as she does after everything we shared in that house? _he thought wearily, no answer coming to him as he pursued that train of thought.

Before long though, his sordid mood was interrupted by Pam's entry through the door.

'Seriously, Eric. You should at least make an appearance at the bar tonight. Who knows what the hell you might see out there. Besides, your brooding is doing nothing for business.' She said this with complete detachment and a hint of annoyance, a dose of snark threatening to escape.

'And why would I do that Pam? To enthrall the vermin and watch them in their outfits, dancing and looking like desperate idiots? No, I have many better uses for my time.' Pam huffed before continuing.

'Master, please don't tell me this is about Sookie again. It's one thing to be a little sad for a day or two, but you have been like this for about a week now and quite frankly, fuck the pun, it sucks, okay? It just sucks.'

Eric shook his head before he got up and walked out into the bar. Pam smiled at this, to her it was a signal that her maker was getting back to his normal programming after the hitch of the amnesia caused by Marnie.

_Stupid witch and her unbelievably gross outfits, _she thought in disdain before following him out and walking to her normal place on the door. She took one last glance back, and saw him sitting on his throne with a bored look in his eyes.

An hour and a half passed uneventfully following Eric's entrance into the main bar, except the rise in bar tabs due to his appearance. The crowds were in frenzy, having been starved of his presence over the past week. Pam smiled to herself as she carded the new patrons, before her eyes set on the one person she really didn't want to see.

'Sookie, I wish I could say I wanted to see you, but not really. What brings you to this slice of Louisiana?' Pam said, a little edgy, glancing back at Eric who was looking bored as he stared in the opposite direction.

'I just wanted to see Eric, Pam. Don't let him know I'm here and just hide me or something. I don't even know why I feel like I need to see him, I just do.' Sookie replied, her voice tense.

'Come with me then. The corner booth over there is pretty far from his view but you can still see him. Whatever the fuck happens, do not draw any attention to yourself or I will throw you out, fuck the consequences.' the vampire said, before taking her to the booth in question with a stern look in her eyes.

As soon as she sat down in her seat, Sookie's eyes searched the bar for Eric. Her eyes landed on him soon enough, sitting disenchantedly on his throne. Her heart skipped a beat at seeing him again and her palms started to sweat despite their physical distance.

_God, he looks as handsome as ever. How the hell can he even look that good from this far, damn it? _her thoughts said in betrayal. She promised herself she wouldn't do anything to hurt either Bill or Eric, but she would have been lying if she said the Viking's presence wasn't comforting.

For Eric's part, he could feel a small thrum in his blood he simply couldn't place. He looked over to Pam who simply carded patron after patron in boredom. He couldn't see Sookie anywhere in the dim lighting, which confused him. All he could think about was her, nowadays. He found himself looking back over the time when she cleaned his feet tenderly, when she soothed him after his dream of Godric, and then of course, there was the sex.

_The sex that I'd give anything to have again. Fucking sense of honor, I don't even know where she gets that after all the betrayal she's been subjected to, _his thoughts echoed, clouding his senses and ability to observe.

Sookie observed him from her secluded little corner booth, noting the way his head hung a little dejectedly every once in a while, wondering what he was thinking of. For her part, she definitely knew who she was thinking of. Him.

_I wonder how he is now. It's only been a week, but I can't help thinking, there must be so much that's changed with him. He certainly hasn't grown any uglier,_ she noted in her thoughts, smiling at the thought of just how glorious he looked in all aspects. She laughed a little too loudly to herself at all the happy antics he'd gotten into, which was her downfall.

As soon as Eric heard the faintest inkling of her laughter, he immediately stood and scanned the bar with all his senses on alert. He walked down to floor level, which prompted Sookie to stand and try to make a hurried exit. Before she was able to take more than five steps in the direction of the door, a cold hand arrested her attempt followed by the sensation of someone pressed up to her from behind. Then, the voice she'd recognize anywhere wafted into her ears.

'Well hello there, Sookie. Looks like fate has brought us together again. Shall we talk?' Eric said, before turning her to face him.

Sookie didn't know how to respond. Her eyes softened at seeing him this close, which he took as a nonverbal affirmation, leading her back to his office much to Pam's annoyance.

_I told her, I told her not to draw any attention, _she mused in disapproval while Eric closed the door behind him with Sookie in tow.

Meanwhile, as Sookie strode into his office and took a seat on the chair in front of Eric's desk, she couldn't help blurting out four simple words that made Eric smile in triumph.

'I missed you, Eric.'

He ran his thumb down her cheek affectionately before sitting down on the other side of the desk, a curious look in his eyes as he spoke.

'So, what brings you to my bar, Sookie Stackhouse?'

_Fuck,_ was all Sookie could think of in reply.

A/N So there you have it, my dear readers! A Viking-sized cliffhanger. Send in the reviews and comments, your thoughts, predictions or anything else you might want to say, and until next time, pray to God you dream of Eric!


	2. Chapter 2

A/N So, the response to this story has been amazing. I honestly don't know what to make of all this, since the reviews and alerts as well as the favorites have really blown me away. As I left you with a cliffhanger, I think it's good to let you guys in on the next chapter. As before, please feel free to tell me what you think through a review. Thanks and on to the story!

Chapter 2

'Come on, Sookie. You aren't the silent type, so I want my answer. What brings you to my bar? Our last encounter distinctly left the impression that you didn't want anything to do with me. What's changed, my dear telepath?' Eric said, completely nonchalant.

'I don't know.' was Sookie's simple answer to him, looking straight in Eric's piercing, almost ice-blue eyes. She let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. At this point, Eric simply wasn't letting up at all.

'For fuck's sake, Sookie. What sort of an answer is I don't know? What could possibly be left that you don't know about yourself yet?'

'I don't know why I'm here, Eric. That's it, plain and simple. I don't know why I felt like I needed to see you or why I even brought myself here. Is that what you want to hear? Because that is the only answer I'm giving you tonight.' Sookie was huffing after her verbal exertion.

Eric could see the hostility in her eyes. She was clearly defensive and unwilling to compromise, so Eric tried to take a different approach, softening his stance towards her.

'Lover, come a little closer. If you cannot explain why you're here tonight, then at least let me enjoy having you here.' He motioned affectionately towards his lap, and despite all her misgivings, Sookie acquiesced without much of a fight.

Eric buried his nose in her hair as soon as she situated herself on his lap, doing nothing else, fearful she might run if he were to do anything overly forward. Much to his surprise though, Sookie pressed her lips against his ear and whispered.

'I'm sorry for being so tough. I just don't want to hurt you and Bill, but I'm admitting here that I really like being here with you tonight.'

'Then why do you persist in stringing us along? It is more hurtful to keep us hoping than to pick the one you love. At least then you'd only break one heart, one heart that could move on.' Eric didn't know where his line came from, but he knew it to be true. Deep in his heart though, he dearly wished that the heartbroken one wouldn't be him.

'Eric, it's not that easy. You and Bill are both very important to me and I don't want you to have to understand because maybe you just won't.'

'Yes, I do not understand, Sookie. I don't understand at all why you love Bill despite his betrayal and his treatment of you. I don't understand.'

At this, Eric shook his head. He was quickly running low on patience and on options. He didn't know how to get to her, save maybe one option he didn't think would go over well. In his current state though, he was willing to do anything to get her to see his side.

He nuzzled her neck slowly, savoring the scent wafting into his senses. Sookie seemed to be okay with it, as she made no comment except for a low moan. He hurriedly whispered in her ear.

'If you kiss me, I promise to be happy.'

Sookie remembered him saying that in his amnesiac state and her eyes softened at his words, turning towards him in gentleness. Eric could see this as the only way to appeal to her: returning to the Eric she fell in love with.

'So, my dearest. Will you kiss your Viking?' Eric did his best to look gentle. At this point, Sookie simply couldn't resist it and pressed her lips to his.

The Viking wasted no time and cupped her face securely in his hands as his lips moved with hers, his tongue seeking entry into her mouth, entry which she granted him happily. Their tongues danced, the need overpowering the desire to be gentle.

The kiss lasted for an eternity it seemed, before Sookie pulled away and moved away from him, taking her place on the seat on the opposite side of the desk. She looked at him with searching eyes. Her own look seemed to be one of uncertainty.

'What do you want from me, Eric?'

'Everything. I want everything from you. I want your body, I want your blood, your soul. There is not one part of you I don't want to possess, and I'm sure our bond can assure you of that. The moment you took my blood, we were one, Sookie. That is how things are meant to be!' he said forcefully, his blue eyes shining with the depth of emotion in his words.

'And how are you sure of that, Northman? How are you so sure I'm not meant for Bill or whoever the hell it is that's out there?' she replied with equal fervor.

'Because, Sookie Stackhouse, you would have never accepted the bond otherwise. I am sure because I could feel it in the kiss we just shared and because I can see it in your eyes. You can deny the truth, but I know you'll never live with yourself if you do. Now tell me, Stackhouse. Can you honestly say you feel different about me? Tell me!' he was shouting now, his normally svelte voice cracking. He stood to his full height, occupying her vision. She stood and backed away, a little afraid of his posturing.

He followed quickly, pinning her with his imposing frame against the door of his office.

'Tell me, Sookie Stackhouse!' he roared, no longer able to hold back all the frustration he held at her choices.

'Eric, I…' she bit out in a whisper, looking at him straight. He could see it, the telltale change in her mindset, which flickered in her eyes.

'You what? Tell me what I think you're going to tell me, Sookie. Say the words and I promise to love you as I have before and during our time together, I promise you myself, the world and more. Say it, lover. Say it!' he responded forcefully, wondering if the sheer force of his will could get her to say the words he so wanted to hear from her.

'That is it. I am done pretending that I can be away from you, Eric. Done pretending that maybe Bill can hold a candle to you, done trying to be strong and running from us. I love you, Eric Northman.' Sookie simply couldn't help it, the feelings were there, no matter how she tried to deny their existence. In the end, her heart had won out over her mind.

'That's all I ever wanted you to say, my lover.'

A/N There you have it, readers. A resounding resolution. However, I think you and I both know these two stubborn lovebirds have a dose of issues to work through and a lot of adventures to get into. Anyway, leave a review and let me know what you think of the direction I'm taking!


	3. Chapter 3

A/N I have no real idea how I am going to thank you all for the wonderful responses to the story which I got. I am really glad you guys all like the direction I'm taking with this, and I hope I don't disappoint. In any case, please remember to leave a review and let me know what you think of this new chapter. Thanks for reading, and on to the story we go!

Chapter 3

Eric crashed his lips against hers, unable to contain the fierce joy and feeling of possession which he felt at Sookie's admission. For her part, Sookie had no qualms against Eric's attentions, as his hands kept her in place between him and the door. Low moans and gasps erupted from both, as their lips continued to move against each other.

Sookie ran her hand down his chest, hidden from her by his dark tee, eliciting a small growl from the Viking. Eric hurriedly ripped at the seams of Sookie's garments, which earned him a small rebuke from her.

_This dress offends, why the fuck is she still wearing it anyway when she knows what she's getting into?_ he thought quickly.

'Eric! You can't just go around ripping my dresses apart, you understand me? I don't have the money to replace this at all, come on!'

The Viking was undeterred, his thoughts consisting only of making sure they both got their satisfaction as soon as possible, garments be damned. He smirked before resting his blue eyes on her, unabashed lust shining through the piercing blue orbs.

'I will buy you endless racks of dresses if you promise to let me rip them all off you when I want to do so, lover. That I assure you. Now stop talking and kiss me.' he whispered, his breath fanning across her ear, sending pleasurable shivers up her spine. He kissed her again, his lips determined to dominate hers, and yet also willing to give in to the satisfaction.

Before things could get any more heated, a loud knock from Pam sent Sookie into a tirade.

'Pam! The hell are you doing here? And cover your eyes or something, please!'

'The better question is, my dear Sookie, how fast did you go from the word talk, to the word fuck? Seems like it was just a moment ago you said you wanted me to hide you. That doesn't apply now, does it?' Pam said, with a smirk on her face that reminded Sookie so much of Eric.

'Pam, let's not annoy Sookie, shall we? Out you go.' Eric said, not really very serious in his tone, which irritated Sookie a bit but earned a smile from Pam.

'In any case Master, I just went in to inform you that the Douche King has arrived. So, just as you said, out you go with Sookie here.' she replied, still smirking.

'Kindly entertain him while Sookie here gets presentable.' Eric instructed. Pam's face took on a look of rage. Rightly so, since Pam made no secret of her annoyance and disdain for the Civil War veteran vampire.

'Fuck you, Eric. I hate your fucking guts!' Pam yelled, as she walked out, her heels clicking. The Viking only laughed as he turned to his lover, speaking gently.

'Bill is outside. Now, unless you want to go out to him with a ripped dress, an act which I do not approve of since you are now mine, check my left desk drawer.'

Sookie did as instructed, and was surprised to find a dress in her size conveniently tucked in the said drawer. Her eyes turned to him in curiosity.

'I make it a point to be prepared, lover. Of course, I always knew you were going to be mine,' he said, before whispering hotly in her ear. 'So you really shouldn't be surprised. I am Eric Northman after all.' he said finally, a smug look on his handsome face.

She laughed at his dose of cockiness, resigned to the fact that he had a lot of reasons to be confident. It was one of the things she learned to love about her Viking. She glanced at him, before she hurriedly stripped out of the tattered dress, which Eric responded to by walking behind her and nipping her slightly in the neck and shoulders as the dress slid down.

Soon enough though, both were dressed decently, Sookie in a yellow dress and Eric in a black dress shirt that he decided to swap with his formerly casual clothing. However, before stepping out, Sookie couldn't help but look at Eric with a little apprehension in her eyes.

_I can't believe this. Moments ago, Eric and I were having fun, and now Bill's here. Oh my God, what the hell do I say to him? I don't know what I'll say, shit! _her mind screamed at her.

Eric could feel Sookie's distress through their connection and quickly tried to amend her fears with his soothing voice.

'I know you're afraid, lover. However, there is nothing we both can do except to show ourselves. He has to deal with the fact that you chose me, and that's the end of the line for him. If we hide this from him, he'll never have a chance to move on from his obsession about you. Not that I think anyone will take him, lover, I don't even know what you saw in him!'

Sookie swatted his arm playfully. She always knew he was smug and even more so now that they were together, but his smugness wasn't helping her very much. Sensing that she was genuinely apprehensive about their new status and showing it all to Bill, he kissed her passionately, hoping to show the lengths to which he would go to love her and make her happy.

'Eric, I'm just afraid, is all. I mean, we just confirmed all this now, and by the way that kiss was amazing, and right at this moment Bill is outside. Probably hoping to talk to us or something, and then we have to flaunt this right in his face? Not very fair.' she said to him.

'Fuck being fair. I'm done trying to be fair, lover. I have waited for you ever since you let go of me and him. Now that I have you by my side as you should be, no virtue of fairness applies. You are mine, and he should know it!' Eric was getting a little agitated. Due to the recentness of her admission, he still had some misgivings.

'Eric, stop being so…' she began, but he cut her off.

'Being so what, Sookie? Being possessive? Well, I am a vampire and a very old one at that. It is our nature! Besides, what are you so afraid of anyway, my dearest? You will have me there, and I distinctly remember he said we had his blessing for our happiness, so what's the problem?'

'If you would just listen! I think I'm still…' At this point, Eric did not let her continue.

'What? I swear to the gods, if you say you are still in love with him…' he said, trying to hide the nervous yet outraged note in his voice.

_Well, fuck a zombie. I am nervous and yet angry. Get it together, Viking!_

'I said, just shut up! I happen to think I'm still right about this not being fair! Eric, I just said I loved you and now you already doubt it? Jesus!' she bit out, a little annoyed.

His eyes softened immediately and he placed a soft kiss on her forehead as he stood in front of her, his piercing blue eyes lightening in their intensity.

'Alright love, just, don't say things like that. Compton being here is getting on my nerves like only his presence can. Now, since we've established that you are firmly mine, I think we've kept Bill waiting long enough. Plus Pam may be contemplating the true death since we made her keep him company.' He lifted her chin and placed a kiss on her lips, before fixing his collar and stepping out into the bar with her.

'Let's go and get this over with, Viking.' Sookie said, the fear already disappearing from her eyes, a development Eric liked immensely. He couldn't resist one last question though.

'Who do you belong to, Sookie Stackhouse?' he whispered in her ear, before looking at her with possessiveness, love and desire in his eyes.

'To you, Eric. Only to you.' she whispered back to him, linking their arms together as they got ready for a talk both didn't really want to have.

_Of all the things Bill is and has done, he's always been a killjoy. _Sookie couldn't resist the amusing thought as she and Eric walked to him, or as Pam called him, the Douche King.

A/N So there you have it folks, the third chapter in our little journey with the Viking and his telepath. In any case, feel free to drop by and leave your thoughts, comments and predictions on the upcoming encounter with Bill. Thanks for reading and I hope to hear from you all!


	4. Chapter 4

A/N Here is the newest chapter to the story. I apologize to all of my amazing readers for the wait so I'm making up for it with this chapter. Character resolutions and development are ahead. Before anything, you guys have just blown me away with every single review, each alert and each word you write in response to this story. You people are amazing, and I appreciate it all so much, believe me. On to the story! Also, I don't know what to make of the Authority timeline thing, so I will not involve the Authority in this entire story.

Chapter 4

Eric kept his hand securely on the small of her back as they walked out to meet Bill. He was sure she was utterly saturated in his scent, and hoped it would be enough to let Bill know as much as he needed to know without words being uttered. Some part of him however, wanted to verbally assert his ownership over Sookie.

'So, what brings you here, Bill Compton?'

'I just wanted to check on Sookie, Eric. That's all. I wanted to see how she was coping, so I checked her house and she wasn't there, I figured she would be here.' Bill said to Eric, his eyes devoid of any real feeling.

Sookie stood by Eric silently, assessing the situation between the two men. She smiled at Bill politely and took the lull in conversation as her step-off point.

'Well thanks for checking up on me, I sure do appreciate it. As you can see, I'm fine here with Eric, nice and safe.' she said, not sure how to bring up the fact that she and Eric were irrevocably and finally together.

'Yes, I can see that clearly, Sookie.' Bill said, a little derisively. Eric could detect the clear note of disdain in his voice, though it was muted.

'So you can see it, Bill. What do you propose we all do about that?' Eric said, his eyes blazing, daring Bill to dissent with the message conveyed on his face. _She is mine._

Sookie placed a calming hand on his arm, pleading silently with him not to let the situation escalate further.

'Bill, I would like to talk to you in private, please.' Sookie said, pointing towards one of the secluded corner booths. Eric was unnerved by the proposition, and said as much.

'I do not approve of that idea, Sookie.'

'Why do you even make decisions for her, Eric? Last I checked she was not yours nor mine, and you know she doesn't like to be told to do things.' Bill interjected, earning him a glare from Eric that spoke volumes about his anger. At this point, Sookie chose to diffuse the growing conflict and interrupted gently.

'Eric, I'll be fine. I just wanna talk to Bill, okay? Don't you worry.' she said, looking at Eric in a way which made Bill get confused on the inside, as the king remained in a poker face.

She led Bill away from the slightly enraged Viking and sat down with him a few booths away. Eric took his seat on the throne and trained his eyes and ears on the two of them, focused utterly on the dark-haired vampire who occupied his lover's time.

Meanwhile, Sookie took charge of the conversation quickly before Bill could spew any more of the shit he'd previously told her about Eric, or about everything else, really.

'Bill, I brought you here for one reason only, and that is to tell you something that I should've told you the minute you walked in.'

'I know, I know it, sweetheart. You just wanted to let Eric down gently. You know I love you, and I always will until my true death, and I know you feel the same for me.' he said this with conviction, enough to make her feel a little guilty at the laugh that escaped her mouth before she spoke, still somewhat giggly.

'Oh, no, that was not what I was gonna say at all.'

'Then, what were you going to say? Dear God, please do not say you're with Eric now. Sookie, all he knows is how to manipulate people! He was kinder in his amnesia, but now all he wants is to use you for his own ends! You have to know that.'

'Exactly. Good perception, Bill. I am with Eric and I would appreciate it if you accepted that. I mean, I get that you have a problem with him or with what he does, but really Bill, the call isn't yours to make. You lost that right so long ago.'

'But Sookie,' he began, but was cut off by a towering Viking standing next to Sookie, a Viking who seemed to be ready to kill him should the need, or the opportunity, arise. Eric had been listening in on the conversation from afar and had decided that he'd had enough.

'She has made her choice, Bill. You will respect that or I will force you to, but either way you will accept her decision.' Eric said, in a voice that was scathingly cold.

'How dare you speak to me that way, I am the King of Louisiana!' Bill said in a raised, indignant voice, to which Eric responded by sitting down and chuckling.

'You are the king? Bill, you are only the monarch of this state because I have allowed you to be. Had I made my own bid for kingship, you would be a pile of dust. Do you understand, Compton?' Eric said with utter confidence, his blue eyes daring Bill to try and disagree.

'That is grounds for treason, Eric. You do realize that?' Bill said a little shakily but with firmness nonetheless.

'And your point is? Would you like me to stage a coup right here, right now, Compton? Really Bill, what can you do against me?' Eric challenged.

Sookie had been silent during the whole exchange, but at that moment decided to step in. She put her hand on top of Eric's and smiled gently at him, nudging his face to look at hers. His eyes immediately softened in response, before he kissed her thoroughly. Despite trying to let Bill know the news gently, both of them got absorbed in the moment, a groan escaping Eric and a low moan erupting from Sookie.

Before the entire thing could go any further, Sookie pulled away and Eric looked utterly frustrated, while Bill looked furious. However, Eric saw it as an opportunity to seal the deal on the entire situation.

'You see, Bill. Sookie is mine and only mine. You're dearly mistaken if you think I will ever let you get her back, nor share her with you. She belongs to me.'

Sookie was flustered at Eric's strong pronouncement, but nonetheless felt a little turned on by his show of possessiveness. A part of her loved the fact that he wanted her to himself so much.

'I think he gets it, sweetie.' she said finally.

'I don't think he does, my lover. Shall I make it clearer, Compton? Sookie is mine. You will leave her alone or you are losing this kingdom and your pathetic excuse for a life.' Eric said venomously, his tone condescending.

Bill stood up, unable to take any more of the truth he was being handed. He had truly loved Sookie, but obviously he had lost her. To Eric, of all people. He nodded once and spoke for the last time before exiting the bar and heading out into the night with pain in his heart.

'I hope you find happiness, Sookie.'

With Bill's departure, suddenly all Eric and Sookie saw was each other.

A/N So there you go, the update! I have something planned for the next chapter. Until then, please keep the reviews and the love coming, you guys! I'm really waiting for your thoughts, opinions on how I wrote it and your predictions for the future! Until next time, readers!


	5. Chapter 5

A/N Okay, thanks again you guys for all the reviews. All of them are so crucial to helping me understand the flow of this story, how it looks from the outside, plus you guys have really been detailed. I appreciate that effort and it keeps me going because I know I have you guys to live up to and to please. Now, before we go on to the story, I am taking this moment to thank some of the special people who have gone so out of their way to leave a review.

To _realjena_¸ the awesome author of Revelry, thanks for all the plot direction comments, our mutual hate of Bill and the constructive points you put forward. I'm so thankful. And your story, it's damn awesome. Hell yeah it is.

To _ncmiss_, thanks for all your comments and also the uncannily accurate predictions on how this story may turn out. Are you sure you're not a Stackhouse? I feel extra awesome when I read your reviews. Thanks for the love.

To _bannerdawn_¸ thank you for being so encouraging. It's been a learning curve as I wrote this story, and you have been one great teacher. The comments you leave are the ones that really get my head whirring, consider yourself one of the people who guide the plot of this story.

To my other reviewers, I am lost as to how to thank you. The comments, predictions, thoughts on the plot and your opinions on how the characters should develop are all useful. Plus, it's your reviews that just light up my day so much. On to our story!

Chapter 5

Bill's departure was honestly surprising to Eric. Although at that moment he was mentally occupied with how to ravage Sookie after the cockblock episode by Pam, a part of his mind was whirring at breakneck speeds. He knew how much Bill loved Sookie.

_To the point of insanity, _his mind thoughtfully supplied.

Bill would never take their relationship lying down, and as king, he now had extra resources. Eric regretfully admitted that some of those resources were unavailable to him, even. That information was particularly troubling, and he did not like it one bit. However, before he could think any further, Sookie broke through his reverie.

'What are you thinking of, Eric?' she said, placing her hand on his cheek and looking at him with curiosity and a little worry.

'Bill.' he said simply, and that one word was enough to silence them both for a few minutes. Finally, Sookie spoke again, though her question was undeniably loaded.

'What are we gonna do about him then?' she asked pensively, her own mind receding into itself as she got lost in thought. Eric's reply was shocking, though some part of her mind knew he would think along those lines.

'Simple, lover. He must be eliminated from the situation. There is not much we can do except make sure he gets removed from the equation as quickly, forcefully and effectively as possible.'

Sookie said nothing about Eric's pronouncement, and the Viking followed her line of sight, curious to see what had caught her attention.

'I thought you left, Bill?' Sookie said, squeezing Eric's hand in slight fear.

'I cannot in good faith allow this to stand. Sookie, please reconsider your decision. There is so much more I could offer you than Eric. I am King, he is only a Sheriff, and that alone creates a wide material gap between us men. And I can love you more than he can! He is deceitful, a liar and will always put himself first. Do you really expect one as old and as depraved as him to change for you? You have got to be stupid if you think that, Sookie. He's Eric Northman!' Bill had begun to yell at that point.

Eric was seeing red in rage. His hands nearly crushed Sookie before he relaxed it due to her whimper. The Viking stood to his full height, his fury clearly and undeniably evident. His eyes glowed with a murderous light, ready to kill Compton without a second thought. He had already put his hand on Bill's throat and was squeezing with his full force before Sookie stopped them both with a solemn but powerful sentence.

'Eric, put him down.' she said, her tone different than what Eric expected. He hesitated for a second, but then decided to put him down and see where this was going.

_I can always kill him later when I get too pissed off, _his mind dictated, a thought which was physically reflected on his face in the form of a smug smile.

'You listen to me, Bill Compton,' Sookie started, huffing once before she continued in a firm voice. 'You have a lot of nerve confronting Eric and me like this. I know you're the king of Louisiana, but quite frankly you little shit, I don't give a fuck! Okay, you're rich and what not, but probably Eric is richer than this kingdom right now so you have nothing to bargain with,' she paused, taking a breath to control herself. Eric was watching the entire exchange with amusement and pride, which he sent to Sookie. Her strong words made his dick twitch in response, so he looked at her and bade her to continue.

'Material wealth out of the way, you have nothing on Eric, you understand me? Yes, he lied to me more times than I care to remember, but his lies I can deal with. Come to think of it, the lies were mostly to protect me or someone else he cared about. You, you fucking lied to me about your purpose and your ends with not so much as a twinge of regret except when you get called out on it openly. So no, you have no fucking right to tell me you can love me more than him. Before your little speech I was willing to really forgive you for everything and start anew, but after this, there's no forgiveness on the horizon.' she ended finally, her eyes boring into Bill with annoyance, hatred and a little sadness at his stupidity.

She sat down and held Eric's hand, furious but now trying to calm down. Eric stood up after a kiss on her hand, his eyes amused but still fearsome nonetheless.

'She has told you that herself, Bill. So, what do I do with you now? Do I kill you quickly or do I let you suffer?' Eric threatened menacingly.

He crushed Bill's throat against his hand, the fingers sinking into the skin and flesh painfully as he raised the Civil War vampire up into the air. Eric growled loudly as he slammed Bill back down into the floor and placed his boot down on Compton's ripped-up throat.

Bill wailed in pain and struggled futilely, but the vampires in the club looked on rather passively. They wisely chose to stay out of the confrontation, noting the anger oozing out of Eric. Though they were all subjects of the king, they owed their loyalty to Eric, who had been the one to take care of their affairs as Sheriff with much skill and fairness. Between the Viking and the Veteran Soldier, they were going with the Viking each time.

Eric continued to manhandle Bill, alternating between punches to the jaw, sternum and ribs, as well as kicks to his torso and a few repeated slams into the floor. Blood began to pool on the floor, all of it coming from Bill. The Viking continued to drown more and more into a state of bloodlust, with no desire or inclination to stop until Bill was in pieces.

'Eric, stop. Stop it!' Sookie yelled over the fight. She tried to pull Eric off of Bill, but all she got was an enraged growl and Eric's hand pushing her backwards forcefully, a little too forcefully. Sookie fell down with the force of Eric's hand, whimpering in pain as she took some time to process and fight the pain. The Norseman turned to face his bonded with murder in his eyes, but Sookie stood proudly, despite the pain.

'What? What now, Sookie? You wish for me to stop when this pathetic little shit is still alive? No. I will never stop until his body is fucking ashes for Ginger to clean up with a vacuum! Tell me though, why do you keep stopping me? I will ask again then, do you still love him?' he said loudly, overcome with the bloodlust and an unquenchable desire to kill the vampire who had caused him so much frustration and anger. The physical hurt he had caused Sookie was stowed far away in a small section of his mind at that moment.

Sookie hesitated for a fraction of a second, something flashing across her eyes. The telepath wanted Bill to die, and anger crossed her features. However, her anger was twofold. How could Eric keep asking her if she still loved Bill even after everything she'd said and done to prove otherwise? She was annoyed and pissed at this point, plus her back and hips would bruise from her fall, she was sure of it.

_Hurts like a fucking bitch too, _her mind screamed.

Though Sookie was part fae, at this point, she understood just how human she was in comparison to the two vampires in front of her. Her body hurt a lot from the fall, but she refused to tear up at the pain. The pride in her called out to let Eric stew in his dumb assumptions. Thus, she held her head a little higher and turned to exit the club. She didn't know where the burst of speed came from, but she was happy it came. All she wanted was to get away for a while, away from the fighting, away from the pain and most importantly, away from Eric's doubt. She felt like if she didn't, she would simply break apart.

A/N Oh, here we go again, another cliffhanger! Anyway, Eric is really steeped in the bloodlust. You guys have to understand, he's been waiting to hurt Bill for the longest frigging time, and of course, there's a lot to prove between Sookie and our favorite Viking, hence the doubt. But oh, he hurt her! Where does that leave our couple? As before, leave a review and let's hear your thoughts, comments, opinions and predictions on this story. I await everything. Thanks for reading, I appreciate it a lot.


	6. Chapter 6

A/N So guys, here we are with the sixth chapter of the story. As before, I want to say thank you first to everyone who left a review, put this story on favorites and alerts, as well as listed me as a favorite author. You guys are nothing short of amazing. Now, as there is nothing more that needs to delay you from the story, on we go, and please remember to leave a review at the end to light up my day and guide the edits on the next chapter, which I have already written. Oh, and there is a little angst in this one, but will be resolved in this chapter also.

Chapter 6

The night air was biting cold as Sookie stepped out into the darkness outside Fangtasia, running to her car. The moon was hidden behind a veil of clouds, seemingly adding to the gloom currently surrounding her form. Once inside her rather dilapidated vehicle, Sookie closed her eyes, trying to fight back the tears. Eventually, she was defeated in her efforts, as her tears poured out and clouded her vision. Add to that, her hips, back and torso felt like crap because of the sheer force of Eric pushing her, and she still couldn't believe how doubtful he was of the two of them.

_How many fucking times does he need me to tell him that I don't want Bill? Shit, did he really have to push that hard? Jesus. _her mind screamed as the tears continued to pour out, due in equal parts to Eric's doubts and the pain of his strength.

Meanwhile, Eric was too absorbed in his task to go after her, his mind singularly focused on making sure Bill would never live to see another dawn. The Viking continued hammering Bill with punches, dislocating his jaw and left shoulder, as well as breaking almost all his ribs and parts of his femur and kneecap. The King wailed in pain, not one trace of the Civil War soldier left in him. Unexpectedly though, Pam stopped Eric with her hand on his chest.

'Eric, snap out of it!' she yelled, clearly annoyed.

'You would do well to remember I am your maker, Pam. You do not get to stop me, ever.' he threatened with a growl, his glacial blue eyes boring into her.

_Is he really this dumb to threaten me at a time like this? Stupid fucker._ Pam's mind thought out in boredom.

'And you would be stupid to forget that you are bonded to Sookie, and that you just fucking hurt her, you idiot. Now, get your mind out of its warrior gutter and go after her.' she said plainly.

Eric seemed to go back to his normal self at the mention of hurting Sookie. Even then, he hesitated for a moment before breaking Bill's arm and heading out into the exterior of the bar. Pam, ever dutiful, kicked Bill in the gut twice before dragging him to the back area of Fangtasia.

The Viking stepped out into the night, his ears zeroing in on the sounds of crying nearby. He quickly speeded over to a sobbing Sookie and softened his features.

'Sookie?' he asked cautiously.

'What is it, Eric? Come to ask me again whether I still love Bill?' she bit back angrily, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand, determined that Eric would see no more of her weakness.

'No, no. Can I come in, lover?' he said, looking at her gently, wishing his stare could make her do what he wished by the sheer force behind it.

Sookie nodded, but Eric gave up since his tall frame simply didn't fit in the rather midget-sized car she used. Instead, he motioned for her to come out with a gesture of his bloodstained hand, which he speedily wiped on his shirt. Once outside, Sookie refused to come very near him, and chose to stand at a distance. He held his hand out, and she flinched backward at the memory of just how brutal those hands could get.

_No, no. She is flinching from me now. She'll never trust me again. Eric, you stupid ass! _his mind dictated, beginning to regret the depths of bloodlust to which he'd sunken down earlier.

'Lover, come close. I do not like it when you are far from me,' he began, his voice almost whispering to her. 'Eric, do you remember what you told me when you had that bad dream about Godric?' she interrupted, taking a breath. 'You said to me that night, you would never hurt me.'

The Viking didn't know how to respond. He remembered that night in much detail, and held it fondly in his heart. His face changed into a look of dejection at his betrayal of the promise he made to her, all because he didn't have enough fucking control.

'And I regret breaking that promise more than you will ever know. Now, come close and let me hold you. Calm me down, lover. Tell me what to do to make this right.' Eric pleaded.

Sookie refused to come closer despite his pleading, which prompted him to bridge the gap and stand in front of her, cupping her face with his hand.

'Come home with me, Sookie. Let's talk this out reasonably between us. This is not the right place for us to resolve this fight.' he said in supplication. Finally, Sookie acquiesced to his request through a nod, still unwilling to say anything. For that moment, it was good enough for Eric, as he held her securely and flew with her to the direction of Bon Temps.

They were in front of the house in minutes, and Eric set Sookie down gently. She leaned on him for a second, regaining her bearings and getting used to the steady ground beneath her feet again. She led Eric inside and sat down on the sofa, groaning as her painful back and torso made contact with the couch. The Viking didn't bother to sit down, and instead chose to sit down on the floor in front of her, looking up into her blue eyes.

'Forgive me, Sookie. I don't know if it means anything now, but I never meant to hurt you.'

'Whether you meant to do it or not is irrelevant, you're clearly capable of losing control and without much attention to who you hurt in the process.' she said, triggering an echo in his own mind of his words after Tara's discovery that he was staying at Sookie's.

Eric stopped speaking or moving for a long while after that, his head hanging down and his mind slowly receding into a pool of sadness and anger at himself, and then at Bill for ruining what would have been an otherwise delightful evening between him and his bonded.

_Whether decency is in me is irrelevant. I'm clearly capable of extreme cruelty. _his mental voice whispered in a memory of him and Sookie. What stung the most about that memory was the fact that his cruelty had been proven by no less than his bonded.

'Eric? You okay?' her voice eventually broke out, ending the silence.

'I am not okay, you are not okay. Tell me what to do to make this right, and I'll do anything, Sookie.' he said, a bloody tear escaping his eye. He kissed along the sides of her upper body, careful to press his lips very gently against the bruises beginning to form. 'Forgive me.' he whispered as he looked up again. This time, he saw redemption in her eyes.

'Now listen here, Eric Northman. Yes, I am forgiving you, but before you get all happy, you need to hear me out. What you did tonight was disappointing, and quite frankly, really painful. You did not live up to the Eric I knew and the Eric I love, and that's sad, because that Eric is one of the best persons I know. Sure, he did questionable things, but he always had a reason. He had his temper, but he never let that temper get the best of him. Are you that Eric?' Sookie asked solemnly.

'I will be that Eric, I swear it.' he replied, his eyes sincere and his form very stern.

'I am not asking whether you _will be_ that Eric, I am asking if _you are_ that Eric. Are you?' she asked again, which sent him into a pause.

'Before I answer that, I will at least ask for the opportunity to explain why I did what I did, and what this all means for us, Sookie. I will not take no for an answer, so do not interrupt,' he began, his eyes reflecting the gravity of his coming words.

'One, I apologize again for what I did. It was inexcusable for a vampire my age, and I do not hide that fact. Two, Bill will be taken care of, and I will not be stopped. He has become too much of a problem, and thinks he can get away with things since he is king, despite the fact that I am ten times his age and therefore his elder in all senses of the word. Three, we are bound, Sookie. There is no escaping our bond, and this means we will be closely linked to each other. I assume you are okay with this since you willingly took my blood when I had amnesia.'

At this point, Eric stopped and held her hand, kissed it tenderly, and looked at her with adoration as he spoke. 'Four, I love you, and will love you no matter what happens or what your decision about us turns out to be. Last, I _am_ that Eric, Sookie. I have my failures and my faults, but I swear to you, I _am_ that Eric.' he finally ended, waiting for her reaction to all that he'd admitted.

'I'm happy to hear that, because I love you like hell Eric Northman, and you're not getting rid of me, ever.' she said, after a short silence. Her words were backed up with the love shining out of her eyes as she looked at her Viking.

'I have no plans of doing that, lover. I like being next to you.' he said in a whisper, reminding her that the Eric she fell in love with resided in him still. At this, Sookie smiled and stroked his cheek as he stayed comfortably nestled near her, his head resting near her knee.

'Would you like for me to heal you, my lover?' he asked suddenly after he heard her groan, which would have been inaudible had it not been him in the house with her.

To this Sookie responded by kissing him and nodding after she pulled away for air. A bright smile broke out over Eric's face at the resolution of the problem, and he sank his fangs unusually deeply into his wrist. He quickly offered her the blood oozing out profusely, but was stopped as she whispered in his ear.

'I want you to drink from me too.' she said, tilting her head to the side and offering her neck. The Viking wasted no time and placed his lips against her supple skin, showering it with kisses and grazing the skin with his fangs gently.

'We will be one.' he spoke out in a breathy, sensual voice, an echo of their bonding. Sookie lowly whispered 'We already are.' in reply, before he sank his fangs into her neck and Sookie latched onto his wrist. Pretty soon, the only sounds in the room were loud moans, the sound of sucking and the occasional growl from Eric.

_Oh, this is gonna be a good night. _Sookie thought excitedly.

A/N You're probably pissed that I have a new cliffhanger again, but then, what's a story without the suspense? Anyway, I already have the next chapter written, and am just waiting on your reviews so I can decide if it needs edits or if it's good to go. Also, I am waiting to hear your predictions on the next chapter. What do you think is up for our Viking and his fairy? Thanks for reading you guys, and I'm looking forward to the responses to come!


	7. Chapter 7

A/N Hey guys. My lack of updating is utterly atrocious, and very unforgivable, I'm sure. The straight reason for this is I went to Sweden with my cousin and hence, I've been unavailable because of the spots we visited and the entire package that comes with traveling. Anyway, I just got back, so here's the new chapter which I wrote before my cousin unceremoniously shoved the tickets in my face and took me with him. Forgive the lack of citrus, since I want this chapter to be plot driven. However, I will say with the utmost certainty that there is also mindless smut coming in the next few chapters. Stay tuned, and thanks for the wait, by the way. I appreciate it like hell. Anyway, my review goal is to reach 100 before I post the next chapter. Can you guys help me with that? You all really light up my day and my week when I read your reviews, and they are crucial to guiding this thing, so please do me a solid and leave a review at the end when you're done reading and spread the word! Thanks and enjoy the chapter! Hint, this chapter is for action!

Chapter 7

The room was coated in the mixed scent of the two lovers, a heady perfume which Eric greedily inhaled as he pulled away from Sookie's neck and licked every stray drop before closing the wound. The Viking was a barrel of lust, desire clearly showing in his eyes as he devoured Sookie's mouth for a kiss.

His tongue sought hers desperately, and eventually their tongues danced together in the most sensual of ways. Sookie was no less ravenous, and hungrily grabbed the collar of Eric's shirt, pressing herself against him wantonly. Soon enough, Eric was growling more than ever, while Sookie joined him with a chorus of breathy moans.

And then, like all good things, it came to an end. Cue Pamela.

'Will you two stop sucking face, please? I wanna throw up.' she said, completely deadpan.

'Fuck, Pam. Why are you even here?' Eric questioned, obviously unhappy at her intrusion.

'So, you two are good?' she bit back, making gestures at Sookie and Eric. At this point, Eric was clearly annoyed and Sookie was blushing to hell, which only amused Pam all the more as she squared her shoulders and spoke.

'Alcide came to the bar.' Pam said simply, looking at Eric.

'And? What the fuck do I do with the stinking dog anyway, Pamela? Do enlighten me.' Eric said playfully, not really caring.

'Russell's back.'

With those two words, Pam managed to elicit Eric and Sookie's full attention and set off a string of obscenities which hung in the air between the three of them.

'Fuck. See, I told you Eric, I fucking told you to let that fucker die!' Pam said, agitated.

'Eric, really, Pam's right. I know Godric told you not to kill him, but you know deep down that you should have done it when you had the chance.' Sookie added, stroking Eric's arm as she said so, her eyes gentle and yet tense at the same time.

The Viking's mind was squarely in war mode at that time, running through hundreds of mental scenarios and mulling for possible solutions. Clearly Russell would be back with a vengeance, and an almost-3000 year vampire on a vengeful streak was not good at all.

_I can't ask Bill. He can barely run Louisiana and keep things in line, let alone deal with Russell. Who the hell do I contact, damn it? _His mind was on a rewinding track, trying to mentally list and choose potential allies to get in touch with.

'Listen, Pam. You will contact Gregory in Europe first, he's somewhere near France right now, I think. I will contact the rest of my allies here in America, and then we'll plan our method of attack. Get on it.' Eric instructed to his progeny. Pam immediately headed off into the night to complete her tasks, while Eric sat down on an armchair in the living room, a worried look on his face and a tense countenance in his form. Sookie followed suit and sat across from him, her eyes clearly portraying utter curiosity.

'Who's Gregory?' she asked after a moment's pause.

'He is a friend from long ago, Sookie. We have been brothers of sorts, ever since I met him in 1274 on the battlefield. He was turned against his will in 1224, and I helped him kill his maker a decade after we met. Since that time, we have always been steadfast allies.' Eric explained calmly, a few memories sifting into his mind as he spoke.

_We will always be brothers, Eric. My life and my sword are connected to yours, this I promise with my entire honor and with all of my being, _Gregory had promised him then, and he was looking for his friend to make good on his pledge from so many centuries ago. Gregory had never reneged on his promise in all the years that passed since it was made, which gave Eric a large sense of relief.

'You think he can help?' Sookie asked, breaking him out of his reminiscent mood.

'Of that I have no doubt, lover. Gregory's mind is quite good at planning, and I have often called on him for counsel before. Also, while he is not quite my age, he is already close and his age can help even the odds along with his fighting skills.' the Viking continued, pinching the bridge of his nose, and then leaning into the chair's backrest.

Over at Fangtasia, Pam was no less busy than her maker. She immediately dialed the number to Eric's old friend, who answered promptly on the second ring.

'Yes?' Gregory spoke into the phone, his pronounced aristocratic accent slightly noticeable despite the centuries that passed since his time.

'Eric needs your assistance, and he's asking that you come to America as soon as possible to help contain a threat to him and his bonded. I don't have time for idle talk, so I'll get to the point. What do I say to him, Gregory?' Pam asked succinctly.

'Of course tell him yes, Pamela. Lovely to hear from you. I must say Portugal is getting boring, and France held very little sway over me anyway.'

'How soon can we expect you? My Master is anxious to have his allies here, and I am sure he is calling in favors from others as we speak.' Pam replied quickly.

'I will be on the next flight out, I promise you. Tell Eric he can expect me soon enough, and give the Viking my regards.' Gregory said finally, before saying his goodbyes and hanging up. Pam typed a quick message reporting the development to Eric, who at that moment had just finished calling up some old friends in New York, California and Florida.

'Pam was successful, lover. Gregory is coming, thank the gods.' Eric said, turning to face Sookie with a hopeful look on his face as he continued. 'With any luck, we will be able to execute a plan that will silence Russell forever and keep you safe at the same time.'

'Jesus Christ, when will the conflict ever end, Eric?' Sookie asked a little wearily.

'Life _is _conflict, my dearest. The best anyone can do is to avoid and mitigate, not eliminate the conflict completely. Elimination is never really possible anyway. Even more, for supernaturals like us, conflict is not just our life, it is our world.' the Viking replied, his thousand years of experience reflected in his words and countenance.

'Eric, I'm just a human barmaid. I never signed up for this.'

'Yes, you did not sign up, that is true. You just fell into the mix somehow, and of course there is the entire matter of Bill and his fucking deception. That said, you know you aren't _only_ human, Sookie. Like I told you the night you came back from the fairy realm, the sooner you accept and embrace the power of your fae nature, the more you can be assured of survival. I hope you understand this. You want to live, don't you?' Eric said, taking an unnecessary breath to clear his rather muddled mind.

At this point, Sookie stood and went over to Eric, settling herself on his lap. The Viking immediately softened his stiff form against his lover and kissed her shoulders.

'You promise to protect me, Eric?' Sookie questioned softly, looking at her Viking with her eyes afraid and worried.

'Of course I do, dear one. I will protect you with everything I am and everything I have. You must never doubt this fact. You know I love you.' Eric said soothingly.

'Then, I promise to try and follow your direction as much as possible in this. So I gotta ask you, what's the next step?' Sookie said finally.

'We get our pieces in place, lover. And then, we play chess and make sure we kill the King.' he said confidently, his mind already thinking of the many satisfying ways in which Russell would meet his final death at last.

A/N There you have it, guys! The seventh chapter. As you can see, Eric is in Viking warrior mode, and don't we all love that part of him? Anyway, thanks for reading and remember, 100 reviews is our goal. I already have the eighth chapter written, and I'm really riled up and excited to see just how big of a response this story can get. So, drop a review, leave your thoughts and comments, opinions and suggestions. Every form of response is welcome!


	8. Chapter 8

A/N Eighth chapter, people. Thanks by the way for the amazing reviews, they really reaffirm the direction I'm taking with this entire story. Anyway, plot-driven chapter again, with a dose of character interaction between the Viking and his friend Gregory. Also, a preview of what comes next. Oh, and since there's not much else to say, on to our story!

Chapter 8

The next two nights after Pam's Russell announcement had been spent at Fangtasia, a flurry of activity and preparation for Gregory's impending arrival. The Viking clearly wanted to make sure he would have a good reception in America, since his friend of so many centuries had last set foot in the territories in the 1800s, back when Pam had been newly-made. Eric was eager to show him the progress which both Pam and America had made, as well as the advancement he'd achieved personally and materially. Pam too was keen on making the visit run smoothly, and at the moment had already spent hours instructing the staff over and over regarding their visitor.

'Eric, why is Pam so excited? I've never seen her like this, and it's kinda freaking me out,' Sookie asked, looking at him inquisitively.

'Pam is quite taken with Gregory, and while she prefers women, he has been one of the few exceptions she has made. I cannot fault her though; he is almost as good-looking as me!' Eric said with a chuckle, his eyes alight as he talked with his lover on his throne.

'Almost?' she questioned, laughing at his confidence, wriggling in his lap slightly due to the motion of her laughter.

'Of course, lover. Almost is the key word.' Eric said good-naturedly, trying to suppress a groan at the sensation of her body moving against his.

At that point, Sookie paused for a while and her face turned a little sour, a development which the Viking noticed immediately.

'What's wrong, lover? Gregory is coming tonight, I don't want you distressed.' he said gently, turning his face towards hers.

'Nothing, Eric. Just the thoughts. They wanna kill me for being here on your lap, you know.' she said, trying to block the thoughts a little unsuccessfully due to the crowds, even with Eric's blood in her system.

'Then I may have a solution. Kiss me, lover.' Eric said, before crashing his lips against hers, trapping her face securely in his hands. Sookie responded enthusiastically, lacing one of her hands around his neck and the other through his hair, while Eric's hands stroked her leg with a sense of urgency. The thoughts in her head quieted as soon as their lips made heated contact.

Unbeknownst to both, the crowd had begun to murmur about the new stranger at Fangtasia, parting like the Red Sea. The new arrival stood in front of Eric's throne with a knowing smile before speaking to Eric.

'Brother, how uncouth of you. I came to America expecting to be received well, and here you are not even paying any attention to me!' he said, feigning hurt.

Eric broke away from Sookie, and looked at his old friend with a smile.

'Gregory! Welcome to America. I do apologize for my lack of attention, I was indisposed.' the Viking said, chuckling. 'May I introduce my bonded, Sookie Stackhouse?'

Gregory walked up to the raised dais and bowed to Sookie, fixing her a charming smile before he spoke with each ounce of charisma he had in him.

'Hello, lovely lady. I am Gregory, your Viking's very, very old friend. May I say it is an absolute pleasure to meet you.' he said, finishing with a bow and a kiss on the back of her hand.

_Damn, he looks so good. Not as good as Eric, oh but look at his brown hair, it looks so shiny. What the hell has gotten into you, Sookie? _The telepath's mind screamed, while her will tried to chastise the thoughts that had popped into her head, a blush showing on her cheeks in embarrassment.

Sookie was clearly struck by Gregory's looks as she stared at him, now standing. Her eyes were fixated for a moment on his lithe, aquiline features, his dark brown hair and light blue eyes. While not as tall as Eric, all 6'1 of Gregory was as built to impress as the Viking.

'Hello, Mr. Gregory. It's nice to meet you as well.' she said shyly. Eric looked at his friend and then his lover, before kissing the top of her head and pulling her back to his lap, clearly a gesture of possessiveness, which earned a chuckle from Gregory.

'So Eric, what have you called me here for, my friend?'

'Russell Edgington. I'm afraid he's out for my head, since I killed Talbot. But then, you know his offense against my family.'

'The Celt? You have him after you? Well this is not good. Tell me I am not the only one you have called, please?' Gregory said, waiting for Eric's answer.

'Of course not, I have called in friends from the American territories and generally those who owe me a favor within the region. You understand the importance of this, my friend. He has gone mad, he eviscerated a newsman on television, and many want him gone. His elimination will do the vampire community in these territories an enormous amount of good, as well as bolstering my own position and security, as well as the safety of me and mine.' Eric said, with his face adamant.

Sookie sat still on Eric's lap, trying to provide a calming aura to the charged Viking. She stroked his shoulder soothingly, before looking at Gregory and speaking.

'I'm sure Eric and you won't be alone, Mr. Gregory. I'll try to help as much as I can in this, I want that bastard finally dead too.' she ended, looking very determined, to which Gregory smiled affectionately and nodded his head.

'Of course you do, little one. Everyone wants him to meet the true death, it seems. We have all the time in the world to plan. May I speak with your Viking in private for a while, lovely Sookie?' he asked, his face soft and kind-looking, far removed from the fearsome warrior he was and had been for centuries now.

'Okay. Eric, I'll go with Pam?' Sookie asked her Viking protector, who nodded. Moments later, noting the call from her maker, Pam was already escorting Sookie to the main area of the bar.

Gregory walked to Eric's office and sat down on the chair facing the Norseman's heavy desk. The Viking followed afterwards, locking the door securely behind him, but keeping tabs on Sookie through the blood bond. The two men wasted no time, launching into a conversation.

'This is not a good development, Eric. If Russell has gone as mad as you claim him to be, this will be more dangerous than if he were sane. Mad dogs are always more deadly, Viking.' Gregory said, his face sinking into a serious mask.

'You think I don't know this? He needs to die, and I would have done it if not for Godric appearing to me and asking me to do otherwise.'

'He came to you, my friend? With a Maker's command?'

'No. Godric is gone,' Eric began, a small red tear flowing out of his left eye, 'but he showed himself to me as an apparition and asked me not to send Russell to his final death.'

Gregory's countenance changed as soon as the red tear made its presence known on Eric's normally unstained face. He looked at his friend with new eyes.

'I am sorry to hear of it, my friend and dear brother. Godric was an excellent vampire. How did he meet the true death?'

'He chose to do it voluntarily.'

'It must have taken his command to restrain you. I know you are immensely loyal. You are one of those fortunate vampires who are loved by their Maker, unlike the cruel bastard I called as mine. You have love for him as well.'

'He sent me away, Sookie stayed with him.' Eric said, remembering the statement his bonded had posed to him at the church in Dallas. _You have a lot of love for him, _she had said then.

_Godric? Eric's maker was accompanied by his human? That must mean there is something special about his bonded, _Gregory's mind dictated.

'Then she is meant to be yours I think, if she was able to gauge your relationship with Godric despite her paltry age and general non-knowledge of you and your maker. A keeper, that one.'

To Gregory's statement, Eric only gave a nod, and listened as his friend continued speaking.

'What of the plan, Viking? What is our ace?'

'His madness, my friend. Mad dogs are always more deadly, but mad dogs are more desperate. Desperate dogs will make mistakes, and those mistakes we will capitalize on until he is destroyed from the inside out.'

'How much information do you have on the Celt? Do you have a file?' Gregory inquired, his sharp mind already planning the possible ways they could sink a figurative sword in Russell's armor.

Eric handed Gregory a thick folder retrieved from his drawer.

'That's everything we have on him. I had my minions do research, and everything is in there. Known associates, traceable history, real estate and other properties, known enemies, past positions and notable events in which he was a participant.' Eric waited as his companion digested the information. Gregory looked over the file, his eyes speeding over the words, tables, figures and diagrams.

'Excellent brother. Give me some minutes.' Eric nodded at his friend's request, and sat, receding into slight downtime.

Meanwhile, back in the bar's main area, Pam sat by Sookie with a rather threatening look on her face as she spoke to the telepath who so captured her Master's heart.

'Sookie, while the boys are talking about whatever they'll do to kill Russell, I'm going to take this opportunity for a friendly little chat.'

'What is it Pam?'

'I've seen what you do to Eric, little fairy. I'm warning you right now, he's given himself to you, and while I trust his judgment, I'm still looking out for my Master. If you so much as hurt him or cause his final death, I will hunt you down and rip you into pieces myself. Do we understand each other?' Pam threatened, baring her fangs in a deliberate, slow gesture.

_She better not do anything to endanger Eric, or it's fair game and she's gonna fucking lose it against me, _Pam thought.

'Crystal clear, Pam. Is that all?' Sookie said, fully understanding Pam's protectiveness.

'Yes, as long as we have an understanding, you have a protector in me, my feisty little breather. Protecting you is like protecting Eric, and you know how I am with him. Anyway, let's dance!'

Sookie soon found herself pulled by Pam in the direction of the dance floor. It was a busy night at Fangtasia, but the crowd parted in the midst of the telepath and Pamela's joint arrival, as the seductive bass of Benassi's song Satisfaction came onto the Fangtasia speakers.

_Oh, the Master will love this! _Pam's thoughts were sure of the outcome.

_Holy shit, am I actually doing this? Hell Sookie Stackhouse, when did you get all sex kitten-ish? Goddamn it! _Sookie was unsure of herself, but she found the beats of the song hard to resist.

Soon enough, Pam and Sookie had fallen into a sexy rhythm, gyrating quite closely against each other, held captive by every ebbing and flowing note of the song, punctuated by their swaying hips. Gregory was the first to witness the rather debauched display.

'Eric, is that Pam and Sookie?' he asked in a muted and sort of awed voice.

The Viking scanned the bar, his eyes falling onto a vision of his two favorite women all but having sex while dancing to the song. His eyes blazed with lust, unbridled and wanton.

_Oh, you're in for it, Stackhouse. You are not getting out of my bed once I get you in it, and you will come to beg for the pleasure. You will drown in my passion, and I am looking forward to drowning in yours. _Eric's fangs went down, and he walked over to Sookie, soon encasing her in his embrace, his hardness pressing heavily against her.

'Lover, you've been a naughty little fairy.' the Viking said, his voice strained, full of charged and unrestrained need for his bonded.

A/N I know, I know your thoughts. _Fucking hell, are we really gonna be left with this cliffhanger?_ Yes, you guys. You know what's in the next chapter. Review, review! The more reviews, the faster the next chapter gets posted. And yes, I already wrote it, of course it may change depending on the reviews you give.


	9. Chapter 9

A/N So, thanks again you guys for the reviews on the last chapter. I'll address some of the reviews first before anything else. One, you guys are interested in how Russell will get finally killed, and I promise you, that will happen with Gregory, Eric and everyone else's help. Two, I once told you that mindless smut would also feature in this story, so here it is. I hereby give you a chapter of, well, mindless smut. Also, yes, Pam is taken with the Viking's old friend. But, you'll see something surprising regarding Pam and Greg in the coming chapters. Oh my God, did I just call him that? Shit. Anyway, please review at the end and enjoy the chapter!

Chapter 9

'And what are you gonna do to the naughty fairy, Eric?' Sookie whispered, still dancing as passionately as before. Her luscious backside was in direct contact with Eric's hardened length, and each sway of her hips brought out low groans from his mouth.

'My little vixen. I can guarantee, you will be pillaged,' he began in a husky voice, 'conquered, bitten, brought to the heights of the most wanton pleasure,' he continued, his hands and arms encasing her in his touch, 'and loved. I will love you like no one else can, and will. I will prove to you lover, that you are mine and no one else's.' Eric punctuated his declaration by nipping the side of her neck and licking on the minute amount of blood that trickled out, his hands stroking her waist as the song continued to blare on the Fangtasia speakers.

_Lord in heaven, Eric sounds like pure sex. Shit, sex should be spelled as E-R-I-C. Fuuuuccck, his voice. _Sookie's thoughts were taking a decidedly needy direction at the language the Viking had used.

The pair continued the heavy grinding they'd fallen into for a while, before the Viking turned his bonded to face him, and crashed his lips against hers. His mouth was insistent, dominant upon hers. He bit on her bottom lip every once in a while, entranced by the softness. If not that, then the time passed by with his tongue massaging hers sensually. Sookie, for her part, was gripping tightly on his neck, with her other hand locked in his hair. The only sounds they emitted were hoarse cries, breathy moans, and the almost-silent whoosh of air as they broke apart to allow Sookie some time to breathe. Finally though, after what seemed like an eternity, Eric broke away, his eyes glazed over with lust.

'Office. My office, Sookie.' he bit out, lifting her and wrapping her legs around his waist as he darted to the privacy of his office at inhuman speed, locking the door behind him. If the longing stares of the humans and the prominently displayed fangs of the vampires were any indication, the Viking and his fairy had given quite a show already.

Once inside, Eric unthinkingly cleared his desk of all the clutter on it, the papers and items clattering to the floor.

_Fuck the stuff, I need her now. All of her. I will ruin her for other men, just as much as I did even when I still had none of my memories._

He set Sookie down on the desk, his body pressing down on hers with resolute force. He ripped her dress in haste, her bra soon following. With Eric's ministrations, Sookie was beginning to fall into a world of pure pleasure. Her body felt as if it were on fire, the sensations of his hands, lips and tongue all raising her need to a level she didn't think possible.

As it were, Sookie thought she would come undone just from him touching and kissing her. However, the moment Eric's mouth descended on her breast, she was lost to the world.

'Oh God, Eric.' she breathed out, her hands gripping onto his shoulders, nails digging in and causing him to growl.

'You taste so good,' he said, pausing a moment, 'and your skin Sookie, so soft and inviting.' he murmured as he continued to pay homage to her breast, while he used his hand to give equal attention to the other one.

'Eric, more.' she said in a strained whisper.

_Shit, his mouth. Jesus help me, I need his mouth. _

The Viking was powerless to do anything but comply, his head soon sinking down into her heated wetness, making Sookie let out a long moan. He took a long, leisurely lick, clearly taking his time to savor her taste.

'You taste like heaven, lover. No, you _are _heaven to me.' he murmured, before thrusting his tongue into her core. Sookie felt as if she was burning, but the burn was an endlessly beautiful one. She felt as if everything that was good in the world concentrated where her center met Eric's obviously talented mouth.

Before long, Sookie was quivering under his attention, and begging incoherently for the release only Eric could provide.

'Please, Eric, please!' she ground out, her voice slightly hoarse.

'I am not done with you yet, lover. Not even close.' he said, moving back up and trailing kisses from her waist to her neck, where he had begun to graze his fangs. His hand snaked between them, as two of his fingers found their way into her. The intrusion was sudden but not unwelcome, and Sookie raised herself up to hold on to Eric in a rather erotic hug considering what they were both doing.

Sookie moved forward to capture his lips, her tongue joining with his. Now desperate for the sweet relief of the tension coiling in her, she pricked her tongue against the tip of one of his fangs, which became Eric's undoing.

As soon as her taste flooded his senses, his fingers went into overdrive, thrusting in and out of her at almost vampire speed. The coil wound tighter and tighter, and Eric sensed her impending climax through the quiver of her insides against his fingers. He gripped her neck and leaned towards Sookie, his eyes meeting hers.

'Don't close your eyes. Look at me, lover!' he said passionately, the command sending her over the edge with a scream of his name, muffled by a forceful kiss that left Sookie doubly breathless. As she went down from the high of her orgasm, Eric licked her juices off his fingers, which sent Sookie back into a state of need quite quickly.

'I can't wait anymore, Sookie. I fucking need you.' Eric whispered huskily against her neck, as he placed the head of his throbbing cock against her still-sensitive entrance, fighting not to just slam into her and take the pleasure he so desperately wanted.

'Then what are you waiting for? Fuck me, Viking.' she said, her eyes hooded with pure lust as she looked at her vampire lover.

Eric wasted no time and buried himself to the hilt, thrusting slowly as he allowed her to readjust to his impressive size. The roll of her hips and the clamping of her thighs around his waist were the signals he waited for, as he began to thrust into her at a faster pace, the desk creaking loudly under the weight and movement of their slick bodies against each other.

At this point, their union was wordless but unbelievably loud, the pleasure evidenced by Sookie's moans amidst the intermittent growls coming from Eric. The sound of their slapping bodies echoed inside his office, punctuated by occasional grunts or screams.

'Eric, I'm so close. Just a bit more…' Sookie said, before dissolving into incoherence as her released thundered towards her. Eric changed his angle, hitting the delicious spot inside her over and over. Soon feeling his own climax on the horizon, the Viking placed his lips against Sookie's neck in a gesture of permission, not slowing his thrusts in the slightest.

'Sookie, let me have all of you like before, I beg you!' he said, his fangs grazing her neck in barely-controlled anticipation.

Sookie turned to face him for a second, explicit trust shining through her eyes.

'Do it, Eric. I'm all yours, without question.' she said, before turning her head to expose the smooth column of her neck in invitation. Eric sank his fangs in a second later, bringing Sookie over the edge with a loud scream of his name.

Her sweet fairy blood flowed to suffuse Eric with its essence, sending him into a state of frenzy. His thrusts sped up even more as his hands gripped the sides of her hips.

_You're all mine and no one else will have you. Every bit of you belongs to me, Sookie. Mine, you're mine!_

The Viking's mind was a jumble of need and possessiveness, as he thrust into her a few more times, before spilling his seed into her with a loud roar, slumping down slightly but still careful not to crush her with his weight.

Outside the office, every single one of the 28 vampires currently inside the bar had their fangs out, and some of the humans who'd heard the louder parts were clearly turned on by the sounds coming from the other side of the locked door.

In a dark corner booth, Pam's eyes were alight.

'Well that was loud!' she said with a chuckle, before turning her attention to hungrily kissing Gregory once more.

A/N So, satisfied? I did promise you mindless smut, after all! Anyway, to be honest, it was kinda hard to write, so I'd love it if you could comment on the way it was written. In any case, check it out. Looks like it's not just Eric and Sookie getting some! Next chapter, we're back to a more plot-driven story, and we finally get to see what Gregory and Eric have planned, in addition to some Pam goodness. Review, review, people. Until next time!

P.S. I've gotten some PMs asking if I needed a beta for this story, and well, I haven't really thought about it. What do you guys think?


	10. Chapter 10

A/N Here we are again with the tenth chapter for this story. Now, to reward you all for the love I've received in the last chapter and throughout this entire story, this chapter is extra-long. Before anything else, mad props to _bannerdawn _who just totally blew me away with the review. That said, please prepare for the entrance of a character from the books. Namely, Prince Niall Brigant and his sons, Fintan and Dermot of the Fae. You guys all know them. Oh, plus Dermot is the only remaining son of Niall, Fintan is dead, and I'll be playing with Niall's age a bit. As in make him fucking super old, as well as toying with the lifespan of fairies in the Brigant line. Bear with me, there is a purpose!

Quick recap, Eric and Sookie have been up to all sorts of naughty things, so have Gregory and Pam, and then now it's time to get back to planning on how to kill Russell the mad fucker! But seriously, Russell was an awesome character. Mad props again to Denis O'Hare for his amazing portrayal of the Mississippi King (even if he is against our favorite Viking)!

Chapter 10

Eric was the first to come down from the haze of his violent release, lazily giving his bonded a shower of wet kisses all over her exposed skin. Sookie took a considerably longer time to calm down, but soon enough both were occupied with getting dressed. Seeing as Eric had ripped her dress clean in half, the telepath was in a quandary.

'Eric, not that I didn't like you ripping my dress, believe me it was hot, but what am I supposed to wear now? Gregory and Pam are right outside that door!'

'Wear nothing.' he said, totally deadpan.

'Get serious, you big Viking!' Sookie said, exasperated.

'Believe me lover, I am completely serious. I would love nothing more than for you to stay inside my office naked, while I check on Gregory and Pam. That way, I can come back and fuck you again when I'm done. Good idea, right?' The Norseman was speaking in a tone that made Sookie's center throb, much to her dismay.

_Get it together Stackhouse. You need to get dressed and fast, instead of thinking of how it feels to have Eric in… shit! Get it together and get dressed! _Sookie thought.

'You wouldn't want Gregory to see me like this, would you?' she said, intending to play dirty and willing to say anything to get her Viking warrior to see that she needed clothes.

'Very well. You can wear my shirt, and I believe I have a pair of jeans in your size on hand. Check the same drawer as before.' he said, handing her the shirt he'd worn to Fangtasia that evening, a smile on his face.

_If she absolutely must wear clothes, at least she will wear one that reinforces my ownership by scent. Gods help any idiot who dares to try and take her from me. _

Sookie obeyed his instructions without comment, dressing in an efficient manner, while Eric got a spare Fangtasia shirt from the drawer opposite the one where he kept spares for his bonded.

In no time at all, the Viking and his telepath were dressed as decently as the situation afforded, which was right in time since Pam appeared at the door without so much as a knock.

'Hello Master, Sookie. Glad to see and smell that you both had a great fucking time. Or maybe I should reword that. Nice to see you had a _great time fucking._' she said, not bothering to hide her teasing tone or the grin prominently displayed on her face.

_Finally, for God's fucking sake. At least now Eric will be in a better mood all the time, I just fucking know it. _Pam thought.

'Pam. See to Gregory's comfort and then bid him back here.' Eric said curtly, his tone dismissive. Left without a choice but to follow, Pam chuckled as she walked back to the main bar area and did as she was commanded.

_God, my Maker is such a killjoy. _Pam's mind dictated, as she went to Gregory.

Moments later, the former Italian-aristocrat-slash-warrior-turned-lethal-vampire stood where Pam recently did.

'You called for me, Eric?'

'For reasons of hospitality, my brother, one of my other houses in Shreveport is yours as you see fit, though we will often hold our meetings here at the bar or in my main residence. My day man, Bobby, is also available to see to your needs and purchases to be made.'

'Greatly appreciated, Viking. In any case, I actually wish to speak with you in private for the next few minutes, if you please.' Gregory said as he turned to Sookie, 'I shall make sure not to keep him more than that, my lovely Miss Stackhouse.'

'Sure. I need a gin and tonic anyway.' Sookie said, heading out into the bar, fixing her bonded's shirt around her as best as she could.

Gregory took very little notice of Sookie's motion, instead sitting on the seat across Eric's desk. The Viking set himself down with ease, and turned his head to his friend, who launched immediately into conversation.

'Eric, I think I may have the rudiments of a plan, but first I must ask you, what are you willing to do to see this to fruition? If I am to revise my plans accordingly, I must know your limits.'

'I will do anything.' the Viking said with a small but definitive nod.

'Even become King, _mio fratello_?'

'You well know I have never wanted to be King, my brother. I am quite content with the political power I have, free from the vultures that surround monarchs at every turn. How is this relevant?'

'Because, if we will kill Russell, his kingdom will be without a ruler. And, who knows, perhaps others might die as well. Compton, perhaps?' Gregory said with a gleam in his eye.

'And you know this how?'

'Oh you insult me, _fratello. _I have been keeping an eye on the worthwhile events here in North America. You are all so political! I find out Sophie Anne is dead, then here I thought you would step in, but then the choice is Compton. Shame.'

'Very well, Gregory. I am willing to do what it takes, even become King of Mississippi and perhaps Louisiana, if only Russell dies while Sookie is kept safe and this all works out. Compton's elimination is a bonus, I suppose. Now, the plan?'

'Now that I know your boundaries, I suppose we will implement the plan. Firstly, _mio fratello_, we will conduct an inventory, if you will. Who have you called?'

'You, Anton, Calliope, as well as about 70 vampires, all over 350 years old which were sent as payments for favors I hold with the King of New York, Queen of Georgia and the King of Pennsylvania.'

'Excellent. Anton is very nearly 700 years old, Calliope is 619. This will be good for us. Do you have witches in your employ, brother?'

_No, no fucking witches, that's for sure! _The Viking's mind yelled.

'No. They're shifty little things, with unknown loyalties for the most part, and I got cursed by one. That said, I do not trust them in the slightest. I would rather kill one than trust one.'

'Yes, darling Pamela has filled me in on your little trip into no-memory land, my dear brother. In any case, we need magic on our side,' Gregory paused, 'because Russell Edgington is an old vampire, but as old as he is his existence is rooted in magic. For this reason, if we have someone who can manipulate it as directly as a witch can, all the better for us.'

'How about Sookie?'

'Your bonded? What of her?'

'Perhaps it would be better to show you, Gregory.'

At this point, the Viking and Gregory stood, marching out into the main area of the bar, where Sookie was sipping on her third gin and tonic of the night and animatedly talking to the bartender. Eric zipped up behind Sookie, startling her.

'Damn it, Eric. You know I hate it when ya'll do that vampire flashy thing!'

'Sorry, lover. I need you back in my office for a little demonstration with Gregory.'

'What demonstration?' Sookie asked, immediately suspicious.

Eric leaned in, whispering in her ear. 'Your fingers, lover. I have my vampire flashy thing, and you have your own fairy flashy thing.'

'You sure he should see that, Eric?' Sookie questioned, slightly alarmed.

'Of course, my love. Gregory will not speak out of line and will not do you harm, isn't that right, my friend?'

'I give you both my word, and the strictest assurance that I will not speak of what I am to see outside our circle. I would not dream of betraying _mio fratello _or you, dear Sookie. You must know this.' Gregory answered, his eyes sincere and gentle, but also determined.

'Okay, thank you. Let's go then.' Sookie said, as she clutched onto Eric's arm for assurance.

'I'm trusting you, Eric.' Sookie said in a whisper, as she stood by the door of the Viking's office, while Gregory was seated in his previous chair. Eric, for his part, indicated a small bauble as a target for Sookie's power.

'I won't betray you, ever.' he said, knowing full well that he'd made the promise in his amnesiac state immediately before they bonded, but still thoroughly intending to honor the said vow. In any case, he knew that by responding as he had before, she would be more assured of the entire situation.

Thus mollified, Sookie took aim at the small trinket Eric had indicated, before summoning her anger for Russell Edgington and Bill Compton. The tactic effectively sent the light shooting out of her fingers and straight towards the target, burning it to bits.

Gregory sat silently, mulling the entire incident in his head before a smile broke out on his face, and he exclaimed happily. 'That was most promising, young one!'At that point he turned to Eric, 'Now, brother, you mean to tell me she is Fae?'

_Lucky bastard, having a Fae bonded. Her blood must taste incredible! _Gregory thought.

'Partly yes.' Eric responded.

'I knew this fairy, Claudine, said she was my fairy godmother,' Sookie began, 'eh, but then Eric killed her while he had his amnesia.' she amended.

'Claudine, you say?' Gregory asked, a faint trace of his Italian aristocratic accent audible.

'Yeah, Claudine.'

'I happen to know of a fairy named Claudine. One very high up in the hierarchy. Related to Prince Niall, Eric. And if I am right, and you did kill her, he will not be pleased.' the Italian ancient said.

'Well Gregory, we will deal with that as it comes.' Eric said definitively.

'Who the hell is Prince Niall? And how come I've never even heard of him?' Sookie asked, her Southern drawl very pronounced.

_Who in the fuck is this Prince Niall person? I wish I'd been given some goddamned warning. Niall. Strange name too, but it sounds beautiful! Niall. Niall. Niall. Yeah, it really does sound very nice. Very Fae-ish! _

'Lover, what are you thinking of? You're glowing!' Eric said, alarmed.

Just then, a ball of light materialized inside the office, followed by an understated but still rather loud pop.

'Well speak of the devil,_ mio fratello_! Prince Niall!' Gregory yelled, quite surprised, his eyes switching from Eric to the Fairy Prince.

'You will be silent, vampire. Where is my great granddaughter?' Niall commanded, his presence ethereal and powerful as his clear azure eyes scanned the room. Eventually, his gaze fell on Sookie, who at that moment was cowering slightly beside Eric in fear.

'You won't take her from me, Niall. I will fight to the death to keep her here.' Eric announced, his fangs bared in a very direct threat.

'Then die you shall, Viking.' The Fairy Prince raised his hand, where a glowing orb had begun to gather, before Sookie intervened.

'You two, stop!' she said, holding up her hand before she got a good look at her great grandfather.

'You, you're Niall huh?' she asked, toning down her voice.

The Prince's face softened, turning from furious into the best mask of gentleness and familial affection as he addressed the telepath.

'Yes I am, child. I came because you were thinking so hard about me. Your magic was calling to my own very strongly, hence, I am here.'

'So you're related to Claudine?' Sookie asked timidly.

'True, my dear,' then he turned to Eric, 'and the fact that the Viking has killed her, weighs very much on me. You will pay for what you did, Northman.'

'Well goddamn, I really am a fairy. Anyway, this is not the time or place for posturing and threats, Prince Niall. He didn't mean to kill her, he was just addled that time, he couldn't resist.' The telepath's voice had taken on a pleading tone.

'It matters not whether he meant it, he still killed a daughter of my bloodline, child. Our blood, Sookie.'

'Great grandfather, if you kill Eric, might as well just declare me your enemy too.' Sookie said plainly.

Eric smiled at the telepath's defense, while the Gregory the Italian still stood tensely, eyeing the whole exchange with a wary expression.

'He must die, my child. That is the way things are!' Niall said, his melodic voice raised along with his hand, in the same gesture as before.

'Then kill me too.' Sookie said, as she stepped in front of Eric protectively.

Niall lowered his hand, stunned at the protective streak his great granddaughter was displaying, for the sake of a vampire, no less.

_Why would one such as Sookie defend the Viking? _Niall's mind was whirring.

'What would you have me do, child? I must avenge Claudine!' he explained.

'If you have any love for me at all, Prince, just spare him. I'm asking you as family.' She was pleading at this point.

The powerful fairy stopped for a moment, contemplating his great granddaughter's request, inadvertently thinking of his son Fintan as he stared at Sookie's face.

_My beloved son, if only you could see how strong your blood runs in Sookie. You would be so proud of her, _he thought sadly.

'Very well, I will not kill him for what he has done just because you asked it of me.' The Prince said, earning a tight hug from Sookie, which surprised but nonetheless pleased Niall greatly.

'Thank you, thank you!'

Unwinding Sookie's arms from his frame, the Prince turned his eyes coldly on Eric.

'I hope you remember that you live at my great granddaughter's behest, vampire. If you so much as harm a hair on her head, you will answer to me. Believe me Viking, the night we confront each other will be your last on this Earth.' The Prince's voice had taken on a deep, warning tone.

Eric and Gregory, both acknowledging Niall's warning, nodded.

'Prince, your beloved Sookie is in danger.' Gregory said, intent on using Sookie's relation to Niall as a part of the plan.

_Ah Gregory, ever pragmatic. This is a welcome development, I suppose. If Sookie has the fucking Fairy Prince as a great grandfather, might as well use the connection. Fucking insolent, proud fairy. I hate his fucking guts, but at least he didn't kill me. Gods, I love you, Sookie. _Eric thought, as he fixed his eyes on the Prince, noting from peripheral vision that Sookie nodded in agreement with Gregory's declaration.

'From whom?' the Prince asked, his face taking on a pensive look.

'Russell Edgington, Prince.' the Viking said.

'And he's as mad as a hatter.' Sookie added with a nod.

'So the Celt is after my great granddaughter. And why is this the case?' Niall asked.

'Edgington killed my human family, Niall. In retaliation, I killed his lover Talbot, but he knows of Sookie's connection to me. We bound him in silver and buried him under concrete, but he has escaped and is now after me. Sookie is my bonded, Prince.' Eric explained.

'This is the second time you have slighted me, Viking. First Claudine, and now you have put my dear Sookie in danger. I wouldn't try a third time, Norseman. In any case, as her eldest male relative, I will help you see to her safety, even though your connection with her is less than desirable.' Niall said, his voice tinged with slight haughtiness.

_Well, he sure is a nasty talker and is apparently a powerful Supe, but I won't have him putting my Viking down. _Sookie's thoughts were defensive as she spoke.

'What do you mean less than desirable? Grandpa, please don't diss Eric. I love him.' The telepath obviously didn't take kindly to Niall belittling Eric, which earned her a chuckle from Gregory.

'Yes, I can see you care for him my child. That said, I honor my duty to protect you. Viking, is this other vampire a protector for my great granddaughter?' he asked, having turned his head in the direction of the Norseman and the Italian.

'I am Gregory, Your Grace. I am a loyal friend to the Viking, and yes, I am now pledging myself as a protector to Sookie, given that she belongs to one I consider my brother and friend.' the Italian said, introducing himself before Eric could.

'Very well. What are your plans to eliminate Edgington?' Niall said.

'I have called in favors from monarchs here in America, Niall, as well as some old friends in Europe. You have met Gregory, but there are more on the way. We have scouted for information about him in the recent past but I have had that stopped as there was nothing new to find out. So far, we do not know where Russell currently is. Once we find out, we will plan accordingly.' Eric supplied.

'Nonsense. There will be no waiting to find out. Bring me a bowl with water in it at once.' The Prince's voice was one not to be argued with.

'Pam! Bring a bowl of water in!' the Viking yelled, knowing his child would hear. Pam did as asked, and about 12 seconds later, opened the door with the filled bowl in hand.

'What the fuck! Eric, who is this?' Pam asked pointedly.

'Do not address me so crudely, youngling. I am Prince Niall, ruler of the Fae.' Niall said, as he took the bowl of water from Pam's unmoving hands.

'What the fuck are you doing here?' she asked again.

'He's my great grandpa, Pam.' Sookie said helpfully.

The vampiress was awestruck, and just about to ask why she didn't feel the impulse to drain Niall, before Eric dismissed her. The Fairy Prince merely smiled at the familiar term Sookie had used for him.

_Why does he always exclude me from the cool stuff? Killjoy! _Pam was indignant as she walked back to her post on the door of the bar.

With Pam gone, Niall turned his attention to the bowl. Summoning a small blast of energy, he waved his hand over the water, an action which Sookie watched with fascination.

_Cool. How come he's so in control? Eh, odds are it's because he's so goddamn magical. He's the Fairy Prince. Wait, oh shit, I'm Fairy Royalty? Well, might as well add that to the great fuckin' list of things that are weird in my life. _Sookie thought, grimacing.

'Russell Edgington.' Niall said tonelessly, watching the water gurgle, before growing still and showing him an image. Eric, Sookie and Gregory both turned to look at the scene unfolding on the surface of the water.

'_I will have that insolent Viking and his perky little fairy killed for what they did. Talbot, I will have their heads and ashes for what they did to you! But first, I will make Northman watch as I drain his little pixie girl before I stake him. That little bitch will pay for flushing you down the motherfucking drain, my Talbot.' Russell said in outrage, as he sat fuming in his chair._

'I recognize that! It's his study, right inside the Mississippi Royal Residence.' Eric said, willing himself not to go straight to Mississippi and kill the Celt for the things he was saying.

'Why the hell is he in there? Isn't he even trying to be in another location?' Sookie asked.

'He doesn't know that _we know _of his escape, lover.'

'This will work to our advantage, Northman. His location is now known.' Niall said, a cold gleam in his eye.

'I agree, _fratello. _This is a great development!' Gregory said animatedly.

'What now, Grandpa?' Sookie asked, looking at Niall. The fairy tilted Sookie's chin up and gazed lovingly at her.

'For now, we will do nothing. We will wait for your bonded's reinforcements, while I will send someone to train you in your magic as well as one who will protect you in the daytime. It would do us no good to be hasty here, my beloved Sookie. We must bide our time, dear.'

Eric was watching the display distastefully. While he now appreciated the power and resources which the Prince brought to the table, he couldn't help but be slightly jealous of the budding relationship forming between his bonded and Niall.

'There is no need for you to send anyone, Niall. I can see to her protection in the day, I am vastly wealthy and can afford guards for her. I am her bonded!'

'You will no doubt pick Weres, Eric. While I have nothing against them, it would do very well for Sookie to be protected by someone with more skills than the brute strength of beasts. I will send my own protection, and I will not be dissuaded!' the Prince threatened, to which Eric responded by baring his fangs once more and growling loudly.

'You dare challenge me again, Viking? Do you question my responsibility to my great granddaughter?' Niall asked coldly.

Sensing the fight about to break out, Gregory placed a restraining hand on the Norseman, while Sookie hugged Niall again in effort to prevent him from further action.

'Calm, my brother. Your Grace, Eric meant no disrespect.' The Italian was using the most placating tone he knew.

'He's right Grandpa. Eric means no harm.' Sookie said.

'You would do well to know your place and your power in comparison to mine, Viking. You may be the oldest vampire in Louisiana, but I can kill you if I choose, and you and I know it.' Niall said in an icy voice, before turning to his great granddaughter.

'I will not harm him if he does not prove too unruly, my child. Now, as I said, your spark is strong and I will send someone to train you, as well as some protectors.'

'Grandpa, how can I have a strong frigging spark? I can barely control my microwave fingers!' Sookie said adamantly.

'None but the strongest of sparks could have called me here, my dear child. You called me, and at the time that happened, I was in the Fae Realm. Do not underestimate yourself, young granddaughter of mine.'

'I still don't approve of you sending guards, Niall.' Eric said.

'I care not if you approve of my plans.' The Prince didn't even look at the Viking, instead keeping his gaze calmly on the telepath.

'Now, the night grows short, my lovely child. Please expect someone at nine in the morning tomorrow. I suspect you will know the people I send quite easily.' Niall pressed a kiss to Sookie's cheek.

'As to the two of you vampires, I will expect no harm to come to my beloved great granddaughter in the nighttime, as she will have both her Fae guards and you to watch over her. Have we reached an understanding?' the Prince queried.

'Yes, Prince.' Gregory said, while Eric only nodded.

Satisfied with the consent he received, the Prince promptly popped away, arriving instantaneously at his palace in the Fae Realm. He wasted no time and called for the guards he was planning to send to his granddaughter.

'Alvar! Calixto!'

'Yes, Lord Niall?' they asked in unison, as they materialized instantly in front of their sovereign.

'I am sending you both to protect a most beloved treasure of my heart. You will watch over and protect my great granddaughter, Sookie. No harm will come to her, do you both understand?'

'Yes, Lord. The dear Lady will be protected.' they answered again.

Niall waved his hand once more, cloaking their scent as was his own ability.

'Now, she keeps mostly in the company of vampires. I have given you the ability to hide your scents for this reason, and when you go to the human plane, you will look less like Fae and more like extremely attractive humans. Now, you both know of the Viking, Eric Northman. He has a companion, Gregory and a child, Pamela. You will not harm the three of them, as well as those which Sookie expressly indicates as off-limits. Anyone else who intends to do her harm, you will kill. Anyone who shows her disrespect, you will silence as well. You both will not leave her side. Are my instructions clear?'

'Perfectly clear, our Prince.' The two Fae warriors nodded in assent and dematerialized, popping to the armory to prepare for their new assignment.

Meanwhile, back at Fangtasia, Sookie sat down tiredly.

'I can't believe I'm related to a Fairy Prince. How much weirder can life get, fuckin' damn it?' the telepath said.

'My dear Sookie, being related to the Prince affords all of us a greater chance of survival. We vampires know of Niall's great love for his kin, and you are one of them. Because he has given you his protection, you now stand a better chance of always being in very assured safety, and by extension, we too are safer because of his cooperation and love for you.' Gregory remarked.

'How is that?' Sookie asked.

'He would have killed me if you had not stopped him, my lover. And while you may know me as a very powerful vampire, which I am, even I cannot defeat the Prince if he is set on eliminating me, Sookie. His magic is eminently formidable, and to this day, every smart vampire knows not to antagonize Prince Niall. He has killed so many of us.' Eric admitted regretfully.

_How debasing. I have just admitted to my lover that I am no match for that haughty fairy fucker. _Eric's charged emotions were now tinged with a slight bit of shame.

'Yeah, I can see his power. How old is he anyway?'

'No one knows for sure, my darling girl. The Brigant line has always been quite tremendously long-lived, and there are certain rumors that Niall has found a way to extend his life beyond normal. Even without the unnatural extension, I would wager the Prince is about 3000, give or take half a century. And because you share his blood in addition to drinking from Eric, I am willing to bet you will live for many centuries exactly as you are now, even if you are not turned.' Gregory piped in. Eric smiled at his friend's prediction.

'Okay, so why doesn't he take Russell on by himself?'

'That I do not know, my love. Niall, as well-meaning and protective as he is of his own kin, is quite unwilling to put himself in situations of serious risk. And because Russell is probably so near his age, even the Prince is being cautious. If there is something everyone knows about the Prince, he is the most determined survivalist. If he has other reasons for restraining himself even with the knowledge of the threat Russell poses to you, I know none of them.' The Viking's brows were furrowed in contemplation by the end of his statement.

'Fine. So why on Earth does he suddenly appear just now to me?'

'You were thinking of him, lover. And I am quite sure he has been watching you your entire life and has indirectly kept you out of harm through Claudine. Your relationship to him is an astounding development for me, to be honest. I knew you were Fae, I just had no idea you were _that _kind of Fae.' Eric amended.

'Jesus Christ, I can't take any more discoveries tonight.' Sookie said, yawning widely.

'She is tired, _fratello. _It would be most prudent to let her rest, Eric.' The Italian looked upon his brother's bonded with concern.

'I agree. Come, lover. I will take you home.' Eric said, noting Sookie's nod before zipping out of Fangtasia with her in his arms and taking to the sky in the direction of Bon Temps, while his fairy bonded clutched his shirt.

'That Viking. Always liked not saying goodbye.' Gregory said with a chuckle as he went out to the main floor of the bar.

A/N Due to the wait and as promised, this was a goddamn long chapter. Just a quick rundown. Niall is the Fairy Prince, Calixto and Alvar are Fae guards, Dermot will be appearing soon, and so will the vampire characters of Anton, Calliope and the monarchs mentioned. Bill will feature in the story again soon, and mad old Russell will be back in action too.

Also, Alcide and the wolves will be playing a part, but I do promise that this story will largely revolve around Eric and Sookie. As to not shock you guys, the Ancient Pythoness will be making an appearance, but she's about the last character from the books that will be featured in this story. For everything else, the True Blood peeps will be the cast. In any case, the Viking is still our headstrong Sheriff, just very smart and knows that Niall is powerful.

All that said, reviews please, you guys! They light up my inbox and my day, and I do promise you guys, reviews are the best things that happen to us writers. Oh, and chapters will get about this long as a general rule, from this point onward. Okay seriously, reviews please! I love hearing your thoughts on the chapters.


	11. Chapter 11

A/N So, here we are with the new chapter. I will now be trying as much as possible to keep a more regular update schedule, wish me luck with that. Thank you all of course, for the reviews you've so kindly posted. Have I repeatedly said that you guys are awesome? Because if I haven't, well shame on me! As a recap though, Eric has taken Sookie home from her little meeting with nice old Grandpa Niall, and this chapter will now be focusing more on her Fae side, as the majority of the events will happen in the daytime.

Before anything, I'd like to send _IkeaGoddess _a particular shoutout for her amazingly detailed reviews, which have really lit up my days like nothing else. All that said, on to the story and don't forget to leave a review please!

Chapter 11

Sookie woke to the warm sensation of sunlight filtering in through her bedroom window. Looking at the clock on her bedside, she noted it was still 7:20, which gave her ample time to clean herself up a bit, and eat a quick, very light breakfast.

Engrossed in her morning plan, the fairy telepath caught herself before she used up too much time, and was dressed and ready by 8:45, which gave her 15 minutes to think before her great grandfather's people were set to arrive. Sitting down in her worn armchair, Sookie silently contemplated how far her life had come.

_Let's see now, there's Bill. Bill, who was my first foray into the supernatural, first love, first lover and my first great taste of betrayal. Funny how I once thought I loved him like hell and now I hate the motherfucker. Then here comes Maryann. Crazy ass bitch that tried to turn me into a frigging sacrifice, and instead got poked right through her guts by Sam. Yes. Sweet, caring Sam Merlotte. One of my best friends, who happens to be a shifter. Then I met Lorena, that vampire bitch, so unlike Godric. God I wish he were still here. If Godric were here, Eric would be so happy and it would be easier to kill Russell. Shit, do I have a frigging friend that's not supernatural? Oh yeah, then there's Pam. And Alcide too, plus high horse Prince Niall. Shit, for all I know even Dr. Ludwig is a Supe. Of course, there's him. Eric. My precious Viking. Master manipulator, incomparable lover, cunning Sheriff, battle-hardened warrior, ruthless vampire, and undoubtedly the love of my life. God I love you, Eric Northman. _Sookie thought, the last part bringing a smile to her face.

Just in time, since three distinct knocks on the door were the next things she heard.

Shifting into hostess mode and opening the door, Sookie was greeted by three lithe-looking men, one of them looking like a more mature, infinitely more attractive, lethal version of Jason.

_Damn, the Prince was right. He looks too much like Jason for me not to feel at ease with his face. And holy Lord, they're all so beautiful! _The telepath's mind was reeling slightly.

'Can I help you three gentlemen?'

'Yes, you are Sookie, are you not?' the Jason lookalike asked.

'Yes I am.'

'Well then hello, niece. My name is Dermot, son of Prince Niall and brother to your grandfather Fintan. He is gone, unfortunately.'

_Okay, you're Dermot. Who the hell are these two?_ Sookie thought.

'Nice to meet you, uh, Uncle. Who are the others?' the telepath questioned, caution evident in her tone as she eyed the other strangers.

'They are the guards whom the Prince sent for you, niece. The one with the black hair is Alvar; the one with the light brown hair is Calixto.'

Having thus been introduced, both Fae warriors bowed at the waist, acknowledging their new ward and mistress.

'Really now, ya'll don't need to do that.'

'Yes we do, Lady Brigant. You are our treasure to guard, and you will be shown the respect you deserve from us, your humble servants.' Alvar said reverently as he straightened.

'Cut that _Lady Brigant _stuff. My name is Sookie Stackhouse!'

'Niece, may the three of us come inside? I can see how much this is all a shock to you, and one of the purposes for why Father sent me is to explain your heritage and everything it entails.' Dermot said gently.

Soon remembering her role as a _gracious_ Southern hostess, Sookie ushered her three visitors to the living room and sat down on the couch, suddenly flanked on both sides by Alvar and Calixto, while Dermot occupied the armchair she had so recently vacated.

'Uh, Uncle Dermot? Do they really need to be sitting here with me?'

'This is part of our duty, Lady Sookie. The Prince was very specific that we were not to leave your side and we intend to do as he says without question.' This time, it was Calixto who had spoken up, his voice every bit as hauntingly beautiful as Alvar's or Dermot's had been.

'Evidently the answer is yes then, my niece. Now, by the look on your face, you must be burning to ask questions, so go ahead.' Dermot made a _go on_ motion with his left hand once he finished speaking.

'Alright. First things first, why the hell do ya'll keep saying that I have this Fintan person as a grandfather? My grandfather was Earl Stackhouse!'

'Completely untrue, my dear. Your biological grandfather was my brother. I understand you had a Christian upbringing, but there is no way around it, niece. Your grandmother fell in love with _my_ brother, and bore _his_ children even though she was married to that Earl Stackhouse you speak of.' Dermot said, taking a pause.

'Your mostly-human grandfather was also part Fae from a different line of our race, but horribly common. He had a small sense of empathy, but was very human indeed. He had some sort of fertility problem too, though no one knows why. Quite a rare case among our kind. Then again, he is from a different line of Fae. No Brigant has such fertility problems, and you are testament to that. Hence, Earl could not give Adele any children, which is where my brother stepped in.' Dermot said with finality.

_So that's the frigging reason I saw him during the harvesting shit I went through. Wait, so Gran cheated on Granddaddy, he was infertile AND he was Fae too? _Sookie didn't pursue the train of thought. It was too alien to her.

'But this is Gran we're talking about! She would never cheat on Granddaddy!' Sookie said in protest. Somehow the idea of her Gran cheating simply didn't fit into the image Sookie had of her dear grandmother Adele.

'I will not sugarcoat the truth for you, my Sookie. Ask yourself, where would your Fae traits have come from? Do you think you would have ever been able to summon the Fairy Prince if you had completely human genes? Be honest with yourself, little one. You know in your heart you are not only human at all, are you? In fact, you should not call yourself Stackhouse. You are a Brigant, and that is the simple truth of the matter. Your heritage should not be soiled with that human surname.' Dermot said.

_She is having doubts. I can understand that, but for all our sakes she must let go of her human notions. She lives in a different world now, and she cannot be limited by her human upbringing. For crying out loud, she is bonded to the Viking! I must help her see that she is so much more than what her human mind tells her to be. _Dermot's own mind was whirring as he listened to his niece speak.

'Well I just…' Sookie began, but the sentence died on her lips.

'See, niece? Your heart knows it to be true, but that fact does not make your grandmother any less of a lady. She only wanted children badly, but she was marvelous, and my brother loved her very much. Now, as I do not wish to upset you further, let us change the subject. Anything else you wish to know?'

'Okay, but we're not finished with that subject, Uncle Dermot. So, what about our family? From last night, I think it's proof enough that Niall is plenty powerful.'

'Of course he is powerful Sookie. The Prince is the most powerful Fairy in existence today. As to _our _family, my father bore my brother and I with a human woman, Einin. Fintan, as you know, was your grandfather, and I am your Uncle. Our family line is the ruling family of our race, and we Brigants are of the Sky Fae, to be perfectly specific. Anything more?' Sookie could detect obvious pride in Dermot's voice as he spoke. Even _she_ was beginning to feel the first tinges of pride in the power of her great grandfather and her relatives.

'On to my powers then. What specifically is this ability I have? For now I call it microwave fingers, but what the hell, right? Also, is telepathy 'coz of my Fae makeup and such?' Sookie asked.

_Please let him say it's because of my Fae heritage. At least it will help me understand that this thing is genetic. At least I'll finally have an explanation! _Sookie thought.

'There is no exact name for the light that shoots out of your fingers. It is merely magic responding to the threats you have encountered. As for telepathy, that is not a distinctly Fae trait. Empathy is more common in our kind, though who knows?' Dermot the half-fairy explained, with his face patient and kindly.

_Well goddamn. At least he said it's just not 'distinctly' Fae. I saw Barry too, for fuck's sake. He was right the fuck there in that sick-ass harvest party crap. He's Fae too then, if he was there. So this telepathy business must be a Fae trait, just not a very common one. Holy shit, what if these fucks are here to harvest me too? Shit. Calm down, Sookie Stackhouse. _

'One last thing then. Can I trust you all? Because if I can't, all of you should just hightail it out of here and never bother me again. Eric can protect me just fine.' Sookie said, her tone laced with suspicion once more.

'We mean you no harm, Sookie. Why would the Prince and I do so? He is your great grandfather, I am your uncle, and we are family! These guards, they are sworn to protect you, and do not doubt for a second that they will not give their lives for you, as will I. We are family, my dear niece. We look out for each other.'

'You still didn't answer my question. Can I trust you or not?'

'Yes, you can trust us, and that is the truth. It is your choice whether you will believe it or not, but we will care for you regardless.' The half-fairy's declaration had the ring of truth to it, something which Sookie noted.

'You better not fucking harvest me or shit, like that Mab bitch that I met once in the Fae Realm, I think. Was that even the Fae Realm? Claudine was there.' Sookie said, on edge.

'Ah, you had a run-in with her. Mab is quite the champion for all Fae keeping to themselves, hence the harvesting. And while she and my father were quite civil, she hated him, in truth. Claudine liked Mab's ideals at one point, which I gather, is why she came for you once again and got killed by the Viking. As for our intentions, we are not here to harvest you. Father has always had an affinity for humans and this realm. He has chosen to overlook that fact that a vampire was able to come to the Fae Realm via your blood because you are his great granddaughter, but he will kill the vampire, of course. As for Mab, well, let us just say she is out of the picture.' Dermot explained.

_Yay, Grandpa Niall will kill Bill. Thank fucking God for small favors. _Sookie thought.

'Okay then. That's settled. Uncle Dermot, Niall mentioned he would send someone to train me. If Alvar and Calixto are my guards, then you're most probably the trainer, yeah? And Mab is dead, ain't she? That bitch.'

'Both astute deductions, my fair niece. She is indeed deceased. Father saw to that, and the Fae who had a hand in her plans were punished, most of them killed. And yes, I am your trainer. Shall I explain why Mab tried to harvest you?' Dermot said.

Sookie copied Dermot's _go-on _gesture from earlier.

'Many in our realm wish to have the portals to the human world closed off, and at one point long ago, Father was inclined to agree for logical reasons. However, his love for his descendants in the human world won out over his logic, and so he kept the portals open.'

'And by _his descendants _you mean me and Jason?' Sookie said.

'Exactly my dear. Although your brother is unimportant, as he is fairly very human, free of the spark of magic you possess. Anyway, Niall has been repairing relations with those who wish otherwise ever since, and you had the misfortune of having met one. Namely, Mab. I believe Claude expressed sentiments similar to my father's?' Dermot asked.

'Who the hell is Claude? Is he that guy who protected Granddaddy and I in the Fae Realm?' she asked, remembering the Fae who told her to jump into the black pit which sent her right back into the human world she knew.

'Yes, that was he. Claude shares Father's love for humans, and has been firmly opposed to closing off the portals to this world. He is a relative of ours, my dear. Niall's grandson, and therefore your cousin for all intents and purposes.' The half-fairy took a pause to compose his thoughts. Sookie was about to launch into another line of questions, but he quickly intervened.

'Before anything else though, let us have something to eat, so that we may spend some companionable time together! We can always begin your training a little later. As for myself, I find that I wish to get to know you more!' Dermot said, a wide grin on his ethereal face.

'Sorry, I have to prepare some more food for ya'll first, is that okay?' Sookie said as she began to stroll towards the kitchen, only to hear a whoosh of air and find her uncle already standing near a counter, bearing a crooked smile.

'No more of that preparation, my dear! We will have food, and we will have it _now_.' Dermot said, making delicious food materialize on the counter with a grand flourish of his hand, all of which floated to the dining table in their respective containers.

_Holy crap. Look at those pancakes and that bacon. And by God, that's the most yummy-smelling coffee scent I've ever had the pleasure of inhaling. How is it that the syrup smells so strong? Maple syrup doesn't smell that good! And shit, look at those pastries and that pan-fried chicken! I'm gonna like having Uncle Dermot here, I think. _Sookie smiled.

'Have I done well, niece? I believe these foods are all staples of your diet as a human and a resident of the South.' Dermot asked, hopeful.

'Yes, yes you have, Uncle Dermot. It all looks and smells so good!' the telepath said.

A beautiful grin broke out on the half-fairy's face, before he rushed to his niece and placed a kiss on her cheeks and then lips. Not used to such sudden gestures, Sookie stepped back a bit and headed to a vacant dining chair, flanked once again by her two Fae guards and followed by Dermot.

'Come now, niece. Let us eat, I am famished! Alvar, Calixto, wait for your Lady and I to finish, then you may have your fill.'

'Yes, Lord. We will stand guard.' The two guards stood more stiffly than before.

'No, Uncle Dermot. Let them eat with us. You two, sit the heck down!'

'Lady we cannot…'

'Yes you can, and you will. Now sit!' Sookie commanded.

The two fairy guards did as Sookie asked, taking a seat on either side of her, though somewhat hesitant even in their acquiescence.

'You two have been commanded to join us, as it turns out. Now, let's eat, everyone.' Dermot said cheerfully.

In reply to the statement, Sookie, Alvar and Calixto began to eat at a leisurely pace, interspersing the meal with light banter. Three and a half hours later, every single bit of food had been consumed happily by the four diners, while Alvar volunteered to clear the table and work his magic by washing the dishes with his powers.

'I could have done that, Alvar.' Sookie said afterwards.

'Nonsense, Lady Brigant. You need not soil your hands with such a menial task. Washing the dishes is a task not fit for a lady of the House of Brigant, such as you are. I am quite happy to do this for you.' the black-haired Alvar said with a small bow.

'Really my dear, he speaks the truth. Menial work such as washing is left to servants.' Dermot added.

'Why are ya'll beginning to sound like a certain Viking vampire I know?' Sookie said with a shake of her head.

'Well then that's good to hear. At least Northman understands that you are above such chores.'

'Uncle please. I've done these chores all my life.'

'Yes, that was before you understood your heritage. Now that you know who you are, you will have no more of your time wasted with drivel like washing dishes or cleaning, or whatever else you used to do on your own.' Dermot said a little haughtily.

'What's so wrong with doing chores? The way I see it, it's perfectly honorable to work on my house and keep it clean, with no outside help.'

'Lady Brigant, if I may say so, having servants frees up your valuable time for more important pursuits, as befits your station.' Calixto answered.

'But…'

'Sookie, enough. There will be no arguments. The dishes are washed, and there is nothing you can do to reverse that. Now that you are fed, let us go out in your yard. I have something to teach you right now. Come.' Dermot said, tugging on his niece's hand all the way there.

Once she was standing on her front lawn, Sookie was immediately fearful.

'What if someone sees us?' she asked.

'Worry not, look at Alvar and Calixto.' Sookie's uncle said, pointing to the two guards who were chanting in a language Sookie didn't understand at all.

True enough, the two guards each had one hand raised as they chanted for a few more seconds, before lowering their hands and bowing slightly to Dermot.

'The house and property has been cloaked, Lord Dermot. No one but us can see what transpires here. Everyone looking from the outside will see it as it has always looked, until the cloak has been lifted.' Calixto said.

'Excellent.' he said, turning to Sookie. 'Now my niece, close your eyes, focus on my voice and try your very best to do as I say.'

As instructed, Sookie closed her eyes and waited for her fairy uncle's next words.

'Calm yourself, and look for the energy that lies within you. Feel it, and then visualize it spreading throughout your body, imparting a sense of power and wellbeing. Truly believe that the energy belongs with you. The belief is key.'

Sookie set out to do as her uncle said, which she was surprised to find out wasn't all that hard. She tried to reach out to the energy with her mind, and then imagined a feeling of happiness and security enveloping her.

'Open your eyes, my dove. And see how beautiful you truly are.' Dermot soon said.

Doing as told, Sookie let out a surprised yelp at seeing herself surrounded by a dark blue glow, coating her body like a second skin. Add to that, she felt ethereal and literally out-of-this-world.

'Uncle Dermot, what the…' she began to say in a fearful whisper.

'Don't be put out, dear. This is who you are when you allow yourself to embrace the magic within you. You see, you are not just human and not just Fae. You are a Brigant, and you best be starting to accept that fact.' Dermot said.

'Am I always gonna have this glowy thing now?'

'You can tone it down for the humans, but the supernaturals will always see a touch of the ethereal in you. Now that you have learnt to find your energy and magic, your essence as one of the Fae can never be fully hidden. Are you ready for another exercise?'

'I think I am.' Sookie said, somewhat hesitant.

'What did I say earlier, Sookie? Belief is key. In magic, belief creates and brings all things into being. Without firm belief, you can do nothing. I will ask again. Are you ready for another exercise?' Dermot prodded.

'Okay. I am.' the telepath said simply.

'Good. Now, as you have Alvar, Calixto and I for protection, we will leave such matters for a later date. Also, defense requires a great deal of power which you have as yet left untapped. For now, I will teach you to manifest things, as that skill comes quite automatically to the Fae. Take a deep breath to center your energy once more, my dove. Find it within you.'

Sookie complied and took a long breath with her eyes closed.

'I can feel the energy, Uncle. Now what?' she asked in a low whisper.

'Imagine an apple. Visualize the apple, and everything connected to it. Think of its color, its shape and even its taste, if you wish. Visualize your formless energy taking shape, turning into the apple you have conjured in your mind. Now, will it into being!'

'Well fuck me.' Sookie said, opening her eyes to see a juicy-looking apple in her hand.

'Very good, niece! I see my father was not wrong in his calculations. You are immensely powerful indeed! But mind your language.' Dermot said, clapping his hands thrice.

'I feel kinda tired now, though.' Sookie admitted.

'This is natural, my dove. As you progress, magic will become easy and greatly less tiring. Think of these exercises as a way to flex and train your magical muscles. Go and rest, my lovely niece. I will wake you in the afternoon where I will show you your surprise. Ah, but tone down your lovely Fae glow, my sweet.' The half-fairy was smiling as he spoke, while Alvar and Calixto were doing what they did best. Guarding.

'You sure you three will be okay? I mean, it's not like I'm flat-out tired or anything.' Sookie said, concentrating on looking human again.

'We'll be fine. Now, off you go.' Dermot said, giving her back a nudge.

The fairy telepath finally conceded and went back into the house, heading straight to her bedroom for a nap. Meanwhile, Alvar, Calixto and Dermot launched into their own conversation.

'Lady Sookie shows much promise, Lord Dermot. Would it be prudent to let her stay with her vampire? She belongs with us, Your Grace.' Alvar said, addressing Dermot by his formal title in the Fae Realm as a son of Niall.

'It is not our place to make such judgments, Alvar. My father sees it wise to let her stay, and we will trust his wisdom.'

'But surely she is better off with us, Lord?' Calixto said.

'That is not our call to make. She is happy here, as far as I can tell. We will let her stay here as she wishes, unless the circumstances force us to change that fact. Now, as esteemed as you two are in our realm, it is still not your place to question my father's decisions. You will not bring this up again, am I understood?' Dermot said threateningly.

'Yes, Lord Dermot. Please forgive us for speaking out of line.' the two warriors said in unison.

'So granted. Now, go protect your mistress, Alvar. Calixto, you will assist me in my little surprise for my niece.'

'Yes, Your Grace.' Alvar said, before dematerializing and ending up outside Sookie's bedroom, quietly standing guard near the door.

As for the two other fairy males in the house, the main order of business turned into decorating. Dermot's eyes were alight at the possibilities.

'Calixto, help me turn this little hovel she lives in into a home fit for a lady of the House of Brigant.' Dermot said.

'Prince Niall informed me this house belongs technically to the Viking, Your Grace. Surely this is adequate?' Calixto said.

'I understand he is a vampire of means. Still, be it his house or not, my niece lives here and it looks like a hovel to me. This will not stand.' Dermot said dismissively, as he raised his hand and waved it over the flooring, turning it into dark, polished hardwood.

Calixto the guard followed suit, waving his hand over the doors, ceiling and windows while Dermot modified the fireplace, rugs and the stairway, dematerializing and popping up everywhere as he did so. Before long, the Southern home had been transformed into a mansion.

New draperies featuring the Brigant crest, dark velvet curtains, some new chandeliers, a couple of rugs and a host of new furniture completed the look, which pleased Dermot greatly. Calixto on the other hand, busied himself with making the house look spotless, happily eliminating dust, dirt and grime with his magic.

'Well done, Calixto. There is of course the matter of Sookie's bedroom, but that can be easily remedied once she wakes. Off to the grounds we go, soldier.' Dermot said as he popped to the outside, soon followed by Calixto.

'What now, my Lord?' he asked.

'Let the outside look stately. I trust the cloak you put on the house and the grounds will prevent questions from the humans regarding the new look of this place, even when it is removed?'

'Yes, Your Grace. We made the cloak such that the humans will make none of their inane inquiries. A simple matter of infusing energy which inspires indifference as to the origin of the change. Alvar and I have always been good at it. They will admire the property of course, but they will not ask questions once the cloak is lifted.' The fairy guard looked proud as he said so.

'Good. Now, I was thinking some roses would be good, then perhaps some daisies to cut the red tones, as well as some azaleas and baby's breath to temper the fragrance in union with the other flowers.' Dermot instructed.

Standing off to the side for the next hour and fifteen minutes as Calixto brought his vision to life, Dermot took the time to recharge a bit and communicate a message to his father through his magic and his mind, closing his eyes and sinking into a meditative state in order to center his energy.

_Sookie shows much promise, Father. She has quickly mastered what I taught her and is on her way to being very powerful. I let her nap, as she was tired after the exercises I gave her. I too am resting to conserve my energy. _Dermot sent through his mind.

_You have done well, my son. What of the guards? _Niall asked in reply, his resonant voice echoing in his son's head.

_They are very useful and have been very alert and attentive in their duty. We are changing her property as we speak. The house has been altered, as befits one of her ancestry. _Dermot said.

_She will not like the interference, son. Good luck handling her once you show your modifications. _Niall said in a jovial tone as he severed the magical connection, prompting Dermot to open his eyes once more. By that time, Calixto was already done with his work.

'The property has been adorned as you asked, Lord Dermot. Is everything to your liking?' the guard asked.

'Yes. If you'll excuse me, I wish to rest a bit before I wake Sookie.' the half-fairy said, popping away to the couch, where he sat and closed his eyes. Thus relieved of Dermot's presence, Calixto went to accompany Alvar on guard duty.

Five uneventful hours passed in silence, but soon enough, Dermot woke and popped to the outside of Sookie's bedroom.

Sensing that Dermot wanted to go inside, Alvar moved from his post near the door and let Dermot in while he and Calixto stood obediently outside. The half-fairy knelt by his niece's side and stroked her cheek as he whispered.

'Wake up, my little dove. It is time for your surprise.' Dermot said soothingly.

'What time is it, Uncle?' she asked, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

'Around eight in the evening, I think. The eating, training and talking we've been doing seems to have let the time fly, my niece. I also worked on your surprise, which took some of the wind out of me, so I have been resting up until right now.'

'Okay, okay. I'm up.' Sookie said, as she stood and ambled down the stairs groggily, while Calixto slipped inside her bedroom to change it in accordance with the rest of the house. As soon as Sookie saw the rest of the house's interior, her eyes went wide.

'What the fuck happened to my house?' she yelled.

'We changed it, dear Lady. One such as yourself should not be living in such a plain-looking dwelling, as you are Fae Royalty.' Alvar said.

'I like my _plain-looking dwelling_, thank you very much!' Sookie said angrily, while Dermot placed a calming hand on her shoulder and let soothing energy flow from him to his niece, in an effort to placate her.

'We understand that, my dove. Believe me, we do. But, at some point, you will have visitors such as my father here, and it would be good to entertain him in a house such as this, is it not? Even your cousin Claude may come here soon enough.' Dermot said.

'Ya'll have no right to change shit in this house.' Sookie bit back angrily.

'Sookie, what have I been telling you all along? You are kin to the Prince of the Fae, bonded to a Sheriff like the Viking and therefore of very high station. It is time you let go of your _I am a human of modest means_ upbringing and begin to embrace the finer things of life. We only sought to help you see that by changing this house, such that it would reflect your new status. Is that so bad?' Dermot asked.

'You could have asked me, for crying out loud!' she said, a little less angry than before.

'Would you have said yes anyway? If you are so affronted by this gesture, then alright, we apologize for changing shit, as you so charmingly put it.' Dermot said, popping away to the front yard with a sad look on his face, leaving Sookie on her new couch still flanked by her two guards.

Outside, Dermot pulled his ringing phone out of his pocket, somewhat annoyed. He never needed phones, but he had been given one at his father's insistence, told by Niall that he would need it soon enough. He answered on the fifth ring.

'Who is this?' he said cautiously.

'This is Eric Northman.' The Viking sounded sure of himself.

'What do you want?' he bit back.

'You will come to Fangtasia with Sookie immediately. Niall told me to tell you that you were not to disobey and that you were to cooperate with my wishes.' Eric said.

'You dare speak to me so insolently, you overgrown…' Dermot began, but was rewarded with a chuckle and the sound of Eric hanging up.

_Fucking haughty vampire! _Dermot cursed inwardly.

Back inside the house, a couple of minutes had passed, time which Sookie spent stewing. Before long though, she realized how beautiful the house had become, and was soon slightly drowned in guilt as she remembered the sad look on her Uncle's face while she told him off.

'Uncle Dermot?' she whispered to the wind. No sooner had she finished when he materialized in front of her again.

'Yes, my dove?' he asked gently.

'Sorry.' Sookie said, her eyes stinging slightly.

'Ah, none of that. All is forgiven, my dear niece. In any case, I believe I have some news which will please you greatly. Your Viking requests our presence at his establishment immediately.' Dermot said with slight distaste.

'Oh, that's great! Let me just get dressed and we'll go.' Sookie was obviously excited.

'No time to waste, my lovely.' Dermot waved his hand in her direction, and soon enough had his niece attired in a lavender dress with three-inch heels and a purse to complement the look.

'Damn, Uncle Dermot. You really need to lay off on all the magic.' Sookie shook her head.

'I am not like you. I have no qualms using my magic when I need to get something done. It is my hope that one day you will think like that as well. Everything from your other purse is in there too.' the half-fairy said, taking Sookie's hand in his.

'What the..' she said, before she felt the uncomfortable sensation of whooshing away, feeling the asphalt of the alley near Fangtasia in the next moment.

'Well, we're here.' Dermot said as he walked with Sookie to the employee's entrance of the bar, trailed by Sookie's two Fae guards.

'Why didn't you pop to the front entrance instead?'

'And risk being seen by the humans?' Dermot said gently.

'Oh, right. Sorry. Come on then.' she amended, practically running inside. Using the bond to hone in a little better on the Viking's location, her eyes soon fell on Eric, sitting on his throne.

As soon as their gazes met, the Norse vampire stood proudly and sped over to give Sookie a kiss in front of her three Fae companions.

'Hello, my lover. Have you missed your old Viking?' he whispered seductively.

'Course I have. Did you miss me?' she asked, mimicking his tone.

'Perhaps I should take you back to my office and show you how much I missed you, all night long.' He looked positively predatory as he spoke.

The Viking would've done exactly as he said, had Dermot not intruded by clearing his throat.

'Ahem. I believe you summoned us here for a purpose, Northman?'

'And who are these newcomers you bring with you, Dermot?' Eric asked right back.

'These are Alvar and Calixto, Eric. Grandpa Niall sent them to protect me.' Sookie answered before her uncle could.

'They are among my father's finest warriors, vampire. Just as Sookie deserves.' Dermot said, challenging the Norseman in front of him, who by now had his fangs down.

'Now, you two stop it. Eric, put those fangs up.' Sookie said.

Doing as told, Eric retracted his fangs, but then chose to give Sookie another deep kiss just to spite the three Fae males in his bar.

'You dirty Viking.' Sookie said as she smacked his arm playfully.

'Only for you, lover.' Eric said, giving her an equally playful nip on the neck. 'Now, I have some friends I would like you to meet, dear one.'

At that point, the two Fae guards were even more on alert, following behind Eric, Sookie and Dermot who were all walking in the direction of one of the booths. The Viking stopped, then began his introductions.

'My love, this is Anton, once a mercenary to the French kings, and this one is Calliope, a lady to the many vampire courts of Europe. Of course, my sweetheart, you know Gregory.'

'Hello, _ma chérie_. I am Anton, a friend of the Viking's, we have known each other since his conquests in France. May I say though, you are simply enchanting! I am much pleased to make the acquaintance of one so beautiful.' Anton said, executing a courtly bow and a kiss on Sookie's hand, with his slightly floppy auburn hair swishing about as he did so.

'And I am Calliope, lovely Sookie. Also a friend of your bonded. Eric and I met in Vienna, and we've been friends ever since. You've got yourself one charming vampire. Don't mind Anton, he's very lively. Though I truly second his sentiments. You are very comely.' Calliope said after Anton, smiling serenely as she sat back down.

'I trust we know each other, my darling little one? I may die if you claim you do not remember me.' Gregory said, smiling widely at Sookie.

'Nice to meet you, Anton and Calliope. And of course, it's very nice to see you again, Gregory.' Sookie said, her Southern Belle upbringing kicking into gear as she plastered a friendly smile on her face.

'And who are these three, Eric?' Anton asked, his hazel eyes fixed on the fairies.

'This is Dermot, the son of Prince Niall. He is Sookie's uncle. These other two are her guards, also courtesy of the Fairy Prince.' Eric said.

Dermot and the three guards nodded stiffly as their names were mentioned.

'Well, well. You've got yourself one with stellar connections, _mon frère_. Very practical and smart of you!' Anton added.

'Yes, well, these _connections_ you speak of, are ones willing to kill for her, vampire.' Dermot said threateningly.

'Uncle please. I'm sure he meant well by it.' Sookie whispered, trying to calm her half-fairy uncle down.

'I will not have him speaking of you that way, my dove, as if you are some pawn in a game he is playing. The Prince would not stand for it.' Dermot whispered back.

'Anton, I will never hear you speak of my bonded that way. She is not just a connection or an asset in my retinue. The moment you disrespect her and I hear of it, it will be the end of you, our friendship be damned. Am I understood?' Eric asked, not bothering to hide the menace in his tone.

'I apologize for speaking as such. I ask forgiveness from you both.' the French vampire said, looking at the irate Norseman and his bonded.

'Good. Now come sit on my lap, my lover.' Eric said as he sat down and patted his lap, an invitation which Sookie took.

As soon as the telepath was comfortably situated on Viking's lap, Dermot sat next to Eric near the end of the booth, while Alvar and Calixto stood guard.

'Please continue with your conversation.' Sookie said, her hands clasped with Eric's under the curved booth table.

'Well, as I was pointing out to Anton earlier, Eric, I see no reason why we should not attack soon. The Prince has provided Russell's location, the vampires you requested from the monarchs are here, and so are we. You've never been one to hesitate.' Calliope said.

'The stakes have never been this high. I have never had a bonded, and I am not willing to gamble with her life. Furthermore, we are talking about two states here. Louisiana and Mississippi.' Eric said simply.

'You are planning to take over this state, Viking?' Anton asked.

'Compton is a liability and a threat. He's also an incompetent dolt. He cannot be allowed to live, and for this reason, Louisiana will have a new king. My brother will be the king, of course. No one is more fit for the job.' Gregory answered.

'I appreciate the pride, brother.' Eric said, smiling.

'Why Mississippi?' Sookie asked this time.

'Russell will die, my lover. That is the ultimate end of this endeavor. Since he will die, the state will need a new king, and you're looking at him.' Eric said, nuzzling her neck while Dermot looked on disdainfully.

'I have your word Sookie will not be harmed in this entire scuffle, Norseman? You know my father will have your head if something happens to her.' Dermot said, butting into the conversation between the vampires and his telepathic niece.

'Of course. I myself have assured the Prince that Sookie's safety is of the utmost priority.' Eric said, punctuating his sentence with a nod.

'Are you sure your vampires can handle the job of killing Edgington?' Dermot questioned.

'Of course we can! Do not speak so lowly of us, fairy. We are among some of the ancients among our kind. We are not as incapable as you think.' Calliope said.

'Ancients? You are children to me and my father. I am over 900 already, and you call yourselves ancients? The nearest you vampires have to someone truly old is the Ancient Pythoness. And even she is a full 600 years younger than the Prince.' the half-fairy mocked.

'Uncle, stop. All of you playing your little _I'm better than you _game will do us no good.' Sookie said, shaking her head.

_Fucking children. _Sookie thought.

'Let there be an end to your bickering. Anton, you have taken over the training of the vampires I have been sent, yes?'

'All of them are already highly trained, I merely refreshed their skills.' the French immortal said.

'So we are ready?' Eric asked.

'For all intents and purposes, yes we are, Viking.' Calliope added.

'Very well! We should attack right this instant! The vampires are quartered nearby, a mere 10 minutes from here if they run at our natural speed.' Anton said delightedly, rubbing his hands together.

_Lord in heaven, they're gonna do it now? God, why won't they just shut up and calm down for a sec, instead of letting their frigging vampire fight instincts win. Damn it, I wish Prince Niall was here to calm 'em all down some. _Sookie thought, remembering how the Prince sent Eric and Gregory into a calm, somewhat cowering state as soon as he'd arrived.

POP.

'Fuck!' Sookie said in surprise.

'You called for me, my granddaughter?' Niall said simply, his azure eyes looking at the three stunned vampires, the three surprised Fae and one very shocked telepath.

A/N There we go! What a fucking cliffhanger. Anyway, to clear the air. Claude is Niall's grandson and Sookie's cousin, Mab has been dealt with for her little harvesting episode, and Dermot is trying his fairy damnedest to get Sookie to change her outlook. As you can all see, she is beginning to accept some truths, but is still the same infuriatingly stubborn telepath we've come to know. Next up, the decision is made regarding the attack and then we will soon be getting into one delightfully bloody mess! Remember to leave a _review_ and let me know what you think, guys! As a last note, I'm also dying to know your opinions regarding how I've all integrated the show and the books. For example, Mab, the question of why Earl Stackhouse was in the Fae Realm (harvesting shit and all that), etcetera, etcetera. Thanks a bunch for reading!


	12. Chapter 12

A/N Just because I feel extra good right now, here I am posting the new chapter to this story. In any case, the good feeling may have had something with an extra long review from _IkeaGoddess_, which I used to guide the plot of this chapter, as well as one from the awesome _bannerdawn_. So, props to you two! Anyway, as far as chapter plot goes, a shoutout is also due to _desireecarbenell, _who echoed my sentiments regarding the need for caution against running amok. Hence, we need some guidance from some really smart people, who you'll all meet in this chapter. That said, here goes nothing and I hope you enjoy! Remember to review or I'll make Niall blast you!

Chapter 12

Once the initial shock subsided, the Prince immediately addressed the shocked and agitated occupants of the booth.

'It seems I have been summoned once again, so I will not waste my time. The first thing that must be done, is for the humans in this bar to be herded out, as they are unwelcome witnesses to what shall soon happen here. You four vampires, do as I've said. Viking, enlist your child's help in this task.' he said, before turning his eyes specifically to his son.

'Dermot, you and the two guards will cast a mental cloak on the humans. Make them forget all that they have seen this night. Go now.' Niall commanded with an imperious gesture of his hand. True to his word, the Prince wasn't wasting time at all.

Meanwhile, the vampires and the Fae, in a rare show of cooperation, scrambled to do as instructed by the Fairy Prince. Sookie on the other hand, looked on with wonder and slight amusement, as the humans were led out like cattle.

_Whoa. Since freaking when did I think of humans as cattle? Shit, I really gotta be in the company of my own kind a bit more. But, what the hell is my own kind? The humans or the Fae? Jeez. Can you say Stackhouse existential crisis? Goddamn! _Sookie's mind was rambling.

Before long, the bar was completely vacated, with the exception of Eric and Sookie, the remaining vampires in the bar, Pam along with Anton and Calliope, as well as Dermot, the Fae guards and Niall. The Fairy Prince was glowing with his distinct blue aura, looking completely in his element as his eyes fixed themselves on the Viking.

'You, my boy, have a great task to perform. In the presence of these witnesses, I speak with the authority I bear as the oldest member of the Fae, and myself being a truly ancient supernatural. You will kill the King of Mississippi, Russell Edgington. This must come to pass in the next three nights. Am I understood?' Niall said.

Understandably, the large majority of the vampires currently in the bar raised their objections.

'Why should the Viking listen to you, old man?'

'You are not our elder, you have no authority here!'

'Bring us the Ancient Pythoness!'

'Silence, you idiots! You will respect the Prince!' Eric bellowed out, his voice stern. His voice achieved the intended effect, since the bar fell silent.

'It seems I am not believed on account of my race. Very well. I will be back shortly.' Niall said in response to the apprehensive crowd of vampires, disappearing with a loud pop.

Moments later, the Ancient Pythoness stood before them, supported by Niall whom she held on to as she addressed all the vampires, who at that moment were kneeling with their heads down in a gesture of respect.

'As you have all so callously disregarded the message _I_ asked the Prince to bring, I myself shall speak. Who dares question my own authority?'

'No one questions you, Your Grace. We truly bid you welcome. Do tell us what you wish.' Eric said, momentarily turning his head up to gaze at the Pythoness, before bowing down again. For her part, Sookie stood fearfully beside Niall, while gripping Dermot's hand.

'Children of the darkness, I echo the message brought to you by the Prince. You have before you Eric Northman. Witness now as I give him my orders.' she said, before she turned to fix her cloudy gaze particularly on the Viking, continuing to speak.

'Eric the Norseman, you will kill Russell Edgington. This is your task, to be accomplished in three nights' time and no later. Are you willing to take on this duty, as ordained by the Divine?' the vampire elder asked.

'I am willing, Your Grace.' Eric said in a clear voice.

'You have all heard the answer from the Viking. I ask you all now, will you assist your Sheriff and superior in his task, helping him freely and without intent to betray?' the Pythoness said, her voice resounding in the ears of all the vampires present. Their answers echoed in the empty bar.

'We will stand behind Sheriff Northman!'

'We will honor our pledge!'

'Let the Viking be our leader! Compton is a liability to our state!' one of the Area vampires yelled rather loudly.

'Will this entail becoming King, Your Grace?' Eric said in a low whisper, breaking the ruckus of answers with his rather hesitant question.

'Your role as monarch is clear, Viking. You will kill Edgington, take over his kingdom, and after that cleanse Louisiana of its poor leadership, placing you as this state's new head. This cannot be prevented nor delayed. It is the natural course of things.'

_I never wanted to be king and I've always been happy with my own little slice of Louisiana, but if I need to be king in order to protect me and mine, then it seems I must move up in the world. Damn it, what about Sookie? She already hates me being Sheriff and all political, what more if I become king? I swear, all of this is just so fucked up. _Eric thought, quite unhappy.

'What of my bonded and and I, Ancient One?' he asked, after a short pause to compose himself.

'Come forward and kneel beside your vampire, Sookie Brigant.' the Pythoness commanded.

Sookie did as she was instructed by the Ancient Pythoness and knelt, holding Eric's hand tightly to calm her nerves. To her, this was just plain crazy and more than a little frightening.

'Everything will be fine, my lover. Trust in the Pythoness, and trust in me.' Eric said in a whisper, turning his eyes to Sookie briefly, who answered with a nod.

'My children,' the Pythoness began, placing a hand each on Sookie and Eric's head. 'You must both protect each other. Remember that your first duty is always to each other in all circumstances, and to no one else. You are Fated, and for this reason will always find your way back even in the midst of those who seek to lead you astray. Be strong in your love, and there is no challenge you cannot overcome. These are my words, take care that you heed them.' the vampire seer finished, lifting her hands.

Sookie smiled inwardly because of what the Pythoness said, sending a blast of joy to her Viking through the bond. Eric returned it in equal measure, a small grin finding its way onto his normally very serious face.

'My Lady, may I speak with the Viking?' Niall said, looking at the Pythoness, laying his hand on Eric's left shoulder.

'Very well. I myself must speak with your great granddaughter.' she said, turning to Sookie. 'Come now, my sweet child. We will speak in your Viking's office.'

Sookie and the vampire elder walked back to Eric's office, where Sookie sat on the couch, facing the Ancient Pythoness, where they both launched immediately into conversation.

'Do you love your Viking, little one?'

'Yes I do, Madam. I love him very much and he's very important to me.' Sookie answered without hesitation.

_Why on Earth would she ask me something like that? Like she even needs an answer. _

'I ask again. Do you love your Viking, little one?'

_What the fuck? I just told her my answer, for crying out loud. _

'Yes, I just said I do, didn't I? I really love Eric.'

The Pythoness just laughed in a somewhat mocking way.

'You say you love him, and yet you are very unwilling to let him exercise his true nature. That is not love, my dear. That is the desire to control.' the vampire seer said with a shake of her head.

'I let him exercise his nature, mind you. I've never tried to control him, never tried to make him clamp down on his _I'm a glorious Viking vampire _tendencies. I love Eric.' Sookie said.

'Let me tell you something, young one. You say you do not control him, but how many times have you found yourself wanting him to be softer, more loving and gentler? You wish him to be so because your mind tells you that only soft, kind men are acceptable. Do not think for a second that I have no knowledge of how you once turned him away, claiming he was different because of his memories. You even used Compton as a justification. I believe _maybe it's just chemical _were your exact words. You must not fundamentally change the Viking, Sookie. He is at heart a warrior and a vampire. He will never be anything less than that. If you truly love him, you must learn to accept his darkness, understand its purpose and _temper _it with your light, not _eliminate_ it completely. Darkness can be a powerful thing when directed to a purpose, my child. The Viking is a master at directing the darkness in himself. Let him continue to do so and you will both find yourselves happier.' the Pythoness said, stroking Sookie's cheek.

'But can't I try to make him a bit less dark? Isn't that the purpose of love? To change people?' Sookie asked.

'My little one, there is nothing to change in the Viking. You think he is ruthless, unmerciful and cruel, and you think that this is all he is. For that reason, you try to change him into the opposite, to fit your image of what a man should be. It's very misguided of you.'

'How so, Ancient Pythoness?' the telepath inquired.

'For one thing, the qualities you seek are already in him. You seek love, honor, a kind heart, courage, intelligence, loyalty, mercy and fairness. Your vampire already bears these qualities, and yet you do not see. You do not see because you cannot look past the bad he has done, in order to see the enormous amount of good he has performed. Do you not understand? Your task is to bring out such qualities more than before. Bring out his mercy, his kindness and his love. Be the light joined to his darkness, not the light that seeks to conquer it completely.'

'I think I understand, Madam. So he has the qualities, but I just need to bring 'em out more?'

_Remember what the lady said, Stackhouse. Don't change Eric. Don't change Eric. It ain't about change; it's about digging under his vampire layers and bringing out the man. _Sookie chanted in her head as she listened.

'In essence yes. He has loyalty, you already know that. He is reputed as among the fairest of Sheriffs and his intelligence in war is unmatched. The very traits you seek are right in front of you. Make an effort to see them, my child. Do not change him, merely balance him out.' the seer said finally, standing up and heading out to the main bar area.

Before the return of the Pythoness and Sookie, Niall and Eric were themselves engrossed in deep conversation of a similar tone but regarding wider topics.

'Viking, do you love my granddaughter?' Niall asked.

'Of course I do, Prince. Sookie is a ray of light in my long existence. How could I do anything but love her?' Eric answered confidently.

'How much do you love her?'

'With all that I am, Niall. For so long, I have been alone, roaming this world surrounded by the idiotic human masses who throw themselves at me like dogs to a bone. And then, after so many centuries, she comes into my bar and nothing has ever been the same since.' The Viking scratched his head once and let his face take on a thoughtful look.

_Yes, nothing has ever been the same. The moment she came into my bar in her virginal white dress with those cute little flowers, I knew things would be different. I knew that she would be mine, and mine alone. And oh, what a delightful journey it's been with my fiery Southern Belle. _Eric's mind dictated.

'If what you claim is true, then I am to assume that you will be the man you know she deserves? And note that I said _man _and not vampire. Your nature, Viking, is fundamentally at odds with hers. And while I am sure that you two can make it work as different as you both are, at some point you will also have to learn to adapt to her ideals somewhat.' Niall said.

'Niall, you know very well I am a vampire. I cannot be just a man. Our natures will clash, I know. Her heart is so full of light while mine is so resigned to the darkness. I will adapt somewhat, yes, but ultimately I will always be quite at odds with how she thinks of things. It's just who I am, and we both will just have to make it work somehow.' Eric answered with a sigh.

'My son, do not belittle yourself. There are so many traits in you which she prizes. For example, are you not courageous, honorable and loyal? And you have proven that there is love in you. Let these traits show themselves more, and the odds you imagine will be quite an exaggeration indeed.' Niall said with a smile.

_Fuck. Did the Prince just call me his son? _Eric thought, somewhat panicked.

'But those traits are to be construed as weakness in our world. I cannot be too tender, cannot be too soft. In the vampire ethos, such traits get one killed.'

'Did I tell you to be soft? I did not. What I am telling you is, you must be more willing to give yourself over to the light sometimes. I did not tell you to let go of your darkness. In fact, darkness serves many great purposes well. Show her you have the traits, in a way that will still show you to be a ruthless leader. Vampires need the ruthlessness in order to be kept in line, but as you well know, it repels one with a heart such as my dear Sookie possesses.'

'How on Earth will I be ruthless yet soft? That's a huge fucking contradiction, Niall.' Eric said.

'Viking, I did not take you for a stupid one. Even the most ruthless of leaders can show kindness to those in their retinue who deserve it. Even the most cruel can show love to the ones they adore. And even the most hardhearted vampires can learn to show their good sides sometimes without losing face. Do you understand, Northman?'

'I believe I do. You want me to remain as ruthless, cruel and unkind as I am to the enemies who do us harm, but allow myself to be more given to acts of kindness or mercy to those who have truly earned it?'

'Precisely, Eric. In that manner, you will show to all that you cannot be trifled with nor crossed without consequences, all the while establishing a reputation as a leader which many will follow due to your admirable traits. The added bonus is that it will show to Sookie how you are willing to change for her sake, and also help reconcile your differing ways of thinking. As an aside, be careful in war though, Eric. The stakes are higher than ever.' Niall said.

'Fine, whatever you say, Niall. Although, when have I ever been lax in planning? I get what you're trying to say though. To be honest, it's a crafty approach anyhow. All that said however, what about you? How do I know I can trust you, or any other fairy for that matter? You fuckers are a shifty lot, and not exactly sympathetic to my kind. Why all this kind advising and protection for Sookie?' Eric asked suspiciously.

Niall laughed before answering.

'We have to be shifty to survive _your_ lot. Please don't tell me you've forgotten how _edible _we are to vampires. In fact, were it not for my ability to cloak my scent and to share that skill with others of my choosing, you would've taken a nibble at me by now.' The Prince shifted in his chair, before letting out a huff and speaking again.

'As to protecting my great granddaughter, I have been doing that the day she was born. Do you think I did not send watchers to see to her safety, even if she did not know it? Surely you are privy to how much I love and care for my descendants. If you didn't know that before now, then maybe I should destroy you to prove how much I cared for Claudine, whom you killed?' Niall said, his voice threatening and yet his eyes amused.

'You made a promise to Sookie, Niall.' Eric said, slightly fearful but unwilling to show it. Niall seemed to sense it though, and smiled before he spoke.

'Yes I did. I was only jesting. I will not break that promise to her, except when she asks me to do so. Yet another testament to my affection for those of my blood who deserve it.' the Prince said.

'And I gather Sookie's brother is _undeserving_ of your affections?' Eric remarked coolly.

'If you don't mind me saying, Northman, that boy is an oaf. He possesses no more than the bare minimum of Fae genes, manifested in his uncanny ability to attract lovers. It's all very useless, really. For all intents and purposes, he is only an attractive human to me.'

_How characteristic of him. Says he loves his descendants, then gets all selective. Very typical of his Princely tendencies. Though I suppose he's somewhat right. _Eric thought disdainfully.

'Sookie will not like her dear _Grandpa Niall _saying such things about her brother.' the Viking said, eyes alight.

'Oh please, I believe my son has said that to her already. Jason is of no consequence in the greater scheme of things. I will never believe otherwise. Do _you_ think differently?' Niall asked in a challenging tone.

'To be honest, no. He's a largely unimportant entity, though he did once do me a service by aiding in the fight against that infernal Marnie bitch. Although, it was Sookie's magic that stunned the lot of them, assisted by that Jesus warlock, I believe. Too bad he died. I could have employed him somehow.' Eric explained.

'So it's settled. Though he has done some good, he is largely insignificant and we will leave it at that. Do you have any more concerns, Norseman?'

'I have your word you will not interfere in our union, Niall? Sookie is mine, and as I said, I will fight to keep her with me and succeed, or meet my true death trying.' The Viking mustered each ounce of venom he had and put it into his words.

'I cannot give you that assurance, vampire. I will always put my granddaughter above any begrudging respect I have for you. Your task is simply to make sure that you will do nothing to force my hand, and we will all get along quite fine.' the Prince said calmly.

'I suppose that's the only concession you are willing to give?'

'Of course it is, Eric Northman. Are we finished here? The Pythoness and Sookie are done with their conversation, see?' Niall said, pointing to the two ladies walking towards them.

'Yes, we are quite done. I find that I now seek the attentions of my lover.' Eric said dismissively, his eyes already trained on Sookie.

'Very well. Remember what I have said to you, my son, and do not forget your duty. Kill the Celt then that idiot Compton, and we will all be better off. Add to that, I rather like the idea of my dear Sookie as a Queen. If I may say something to my granddaughter first before I leave though? It will be short, I promise you. Please stay seated for a little while longer.' Niall said.

'Whatever.' Eric said, carelessly running his hand through his hair as the Prince walked over to the telepath, speaking immediately.

'My child. I believe you understand the gravity of what you and the Viking must accomplish?' Niall said, both hands on either side of Sookie's face.

'Kill Russell, then regroup and kill Bill. I get it, believe me I do, except I just can't help but be afraid though.' Sookie said, involuntarily hugging Niall.

'Worry not, my dear. You have the Viking, one of the most fearsome warriors known to all supernaturals, and you have me. Surely you faith in him and in your dear old Grandpa Niall?' the Prince said soothingly.

Unbeknownst to the two, Eric had been quietly listening in, and was so far quite pleased by Niall's assessment of his skills and prowess.

_Fearsome warrior, huh? Thanks for talking me up, Niall. I still hate you and your rude fucking son though. _Eric thought with a smirk as he sat in the booth.

'Guess I _do _have faith in you two. Did you have something else you wanted to say, Grandpa?' the telepath said.

'Sate the Viking, my dear child. He will be in his best condition if he comes to the impending battle with a clear head, a happy heart and with all his appetites sated. Do you understand what I am saying, Sookie?'

_Niall, I believe I may just love you for what you said. _Eric thought, his smirk growing ever wider as he mulled over the delicious possibilities.

'I do. At least it's a good way to take the agitation and edge off, huh?' Sookie said shyly.

'Precisely, little one. Now, I will be taking Dermot and the guards with me as I need to talk to them as well. I trust your Viking can take care of you just fine?' Niall asked.

'Indeed I can. You be off now, Prince.' Eric said suddenly, having crept up to put his arms possessively around Sookie, the bond already filled with his raging lust.

'Ah well, I must be going, you two. I wish you both well.' The Fairy Prince put a devastatingly beautiful smile on his face as a gesture of parting. Sookie gave him a kiss on the cheek, while Eric waved an imperious hand to the vampires as a gesture of dismissal, to which the fangers replied by slinking away at vampire speed, leaving him and Sookie alone in the bar.

'So my love. I believe Niall told you that I would do best to go to battle sated?' Eric said in a husky whisper, his lips trailing from Sookie's ear to her neck as he stood behind her.

'Yup. Far be it from me to not do my job. Bring on the appetite fulfillment, you dirty old Viking.' Sookie said, grinding her ass against Eric's hardening member.

'Ah, but you know I'm _your _dirty old Viking.' Eric said, his hand dangerously near Sookie's already dripping core.

'Take me home then, and let's see if owning you has any perks.' the telepath managed to say in a strained voice, before Eric scooped her up into his arms and took off into the clear night sky with gratification on his mind.

A/N So there you have it. The twelfth chapter. Anyway, this was meant to help provide some guidance to our stubborn old pair, coming in the form of some wise words from the Pythoness and Niall. That said, you guys probably know what's coming next. I can promise you, the next chapters will be a mash-up of gloriously mindless smut, clever planning and the death of mad old King Russell. Who wouldn't want that? Oh, and isn't Niall just such an enjoyably haughty little fucker? Anyway, leave a review and see you in the next chapter!


	13. Chapter 13

A/N Well, what a giant journey we're on. And because the journey involves Eric and Sookie, we simply can't take the journey without a dose of smut in it. Because really, for all the plot and character development in this story, sometimes the only thing we want is one large dose of gratuitous citrus, right? Before anything else though, thanks of course to the lovely reviewers. Believe me. You are shaping this journey, especially the Fae storyline. I've lost count of how many times I referred to the reviews while I was writing a line for Dermot or Niall. You people are _awesome! _

Something to clear up though. Niall's an enigma here. Remember what Eric said? Fairies are shifty fuckers, and the Fairy Prince is no exception. Niall is a master tactician, and believe me he has some of his own ends. As loving as he is of Sookie, you've seen how he disregards Jason, showing his extremely selective tendencies. Also, as willing as he is to let Sookie be with Eric, the Prince is so _not_ above killing Eric if the need arises. Let's just hope the Viking is smart enough not to let that happen, yeah? But hey, I'm the writer. And I love Eric, so I join him in saying: Fuck the lot of you, you fucking shifty fairies!

However, I will say this. Niall loves Sookie, as a member of his family and of course, also because she shows such promise when it comes to the essential spark that Niall just adores so freaking much.

All that said, on to the story, and drop a review. Seriously though, does smut really deserve a review? Well, I'll leave that judgment to you guys, but remember, reviews are like crack to us writers. And me, I'm a huge addict. That should tell you everything you need to know.

Chapter 13

Eric had been furiously kissing Sookie on the flight from Shreveport to Bon Temps, and had only stopped to marvel for a few short seconds at the dramatic changes to the house and the adjoining grounds.

'Sookie, what on Earth happened to your house?' the Viking asked in between kisses and the ripping of Sookie's dress.

'Fairies changed it. I'll explain later, just kiss me.' Sookie whispered quickly, caught up in the raging need being so proudly displayed by Eric. At this point, she was _way _past caring that her dress was already in tatters by the time she and her vampire ambled through the doorway.

As for closing the door itself, the Viking decided that the perfect way to do it was to push his bonded up against said doorway, and then attack her exactly like a starving man would attack a plate of food.

_Okay, oww! So not good to be hit by the doorknob right near my ribs. Whatever, just don't stop, you lusty old Viking. No complaints on my end from here on out! _Sookie thought.

'Eric, bedroom?' the fairy telepath managed to say, before she was silenced by the onslaught of Eric's lips crashing against hers, in addition to the straining bulge in his jeans pressing against her heated center.

'Can't make it that far.' Eric said, after a while, as he lifted his shirt over his head and threw it to the floor under their feet, joining the stray shreds of her Dermot-conjured lavender dress.

_I really can't make it that far, Sookie. So instead of your surely newly-redecorated bedroom, we'll just christen your living room by fucking our brains out with this section of your house as the venue. I can fuck you to oblivion in front of this Brigant crest drapery. Perfect! _Eric thought smugly.

Technically, it had been a mere 45 seconds since he had begun his impassioned worship of her body against the door, and already all he could think about was finally getting her underwear off so he could be inside her. Finally though, he settled for biting her bra in two with his teeth.

'I think I need to begin investing in bulk underwear purchases. You're the scourge to _all_ of my undergarments, if you think about it.' Sookie said in a halfhearted whisper, her hands winding themselves in his short, soft hair, urging him on as his mouth settled on one taut nipple, earning the Viking a long, low moan.

_Fuck that. I want you naked and ready for me all the time, so you can forget underwear. Think of the pleasures we could indulge in each time I come home from Fangtasia! _Eric thought hazily.

The Viking tore himself away from her breast long enough to let out a sentence filled with words that echoed his inflamed thoughts.

'Maybe you should just be naked all the time. I'll chain you to the bed and just bring you food after sex, then we can fuck in the shower too when you finally need to get clean.' Eric said in between huffs of unnecessary breath, before he settled on her other breast, with his hands roaming over her body, coming unbearably near her wet core which had already soaked her panties through.

'Eric, more. I don't care about how dirty you just sounded. More!' Sookie whispered, already aching with need for him, desperately pressing herself against his frame in an effort to create more of the delicious sensations brought by the hardness of the door against her back, coupled with the cool feeling of Eric's skin against hers.

The Norse vampire rewarded his lover's pleas by carrying her to the soft rug in the middle of the living room, his mouth already moving southward, leaving a wet trail of kisses as his hand snaked downward to rub her through her panties. Sookie's back arched in response, which made Eric chuckle a bit as his mouth reached her inner thighs.

'Do you want me, my lover?' the Viking asked hoarsely, before he took a long sniff of the intoxicating smell wafting from Sookie's center, clothed as it was by her rather flimsy underwear.

_Do you really need to ask that? Really? For Christ's sake just rip my panties and get on with it._

The telepath was powerless to utter anything, but opted to try and trap Eric by pressing her legs against his broad shoulders.

'I'll ask again, lover. Do you want me?' the Norseman said, determined to make his bonded beg for the release only _he _could give her, as he gave her core a cursory lick through the fabric.

'I do, you know that. Don't make me beg for it, Eric.' Sookie answered, finally smiling as Eric used his teeth to tear her underwear to shreds.

_Thank God, after the long wait. Come on, get with the program, you big lug of a vampire! _Sookie thought, getting more impatient with each passing second.

'But what if I_ want_ to make you beg, my sweetling?' the vampire whispered huskily, before plunging his tongue into Sookie's waiting folds, savoring the taste of her and brimming with satisfaction at how she bucked from that one long lick alone.

'Eric…' she bit out, straining to press more of herself against him, happy when he continued to pleasure her with his talented mouth. Eventually, she found herself careening towards release amidst his fervent attentions. The telepath was expecting to fall over the edge, but instead was suddenly faced with the Viking's _total_ stop.

_Come on, beg for it, lover. Let me hear you beg for me. _Eric thought, looking up at her face and waiting for her reaction.

'Why in the hell did you stop?' Sookie said in frustration.

'Because as I said, lover,' and here he gave her one more lick, 'I want to hear you beg.'

The Viking had a small grin displayed on his perfect face.

'Eric, just…' the telepath whispered out, as she frantically tried to get him to resume his earlier actions.

'You have only to ask, my lover. Ask me for it, and it shall be yours. Don't you _want_ to feel the release you know I can bring? Do you not _intensely_ desire the pleasure my mouth can give you? You have only to ask, and I _promise_ you shall receive.' Eric said in his most seductive voice, as he pressed his mouth against her folds in an intensely erotic kiss. He had begun to tune in to the bond, waiting for the moment of her surrender.

_At this point, fuck my pride. _Sookie thought.

'Please Eric, please make me come with your mouth.' she whispered, really not caring how needy she sounded.

'Anything for you, my lover.' he said quite smugly, before returning to the task at hand. He renewed the force of his passions, his licks and sucks reaching an almost violent, vicious pitch, which only served to reduce Sookie to a writhing mess on the rug. Before long, Eric added pressure on her clit as he rubbed it with his fingers, sending the telepath over the glorious edge with a prolonged scream.

Even with that release, Eric found himself nowhere _near _done with his fairy lover, and quickly moved back upwards to hover over her, the fabric of his jeans grazing over Sookie's warm core, a sensation which made him groan.

At the sound of the groan escaping his lips, Sookie's mind lit up happily as she rubbed herself against his straining erection, drawing another guttural sound from his throat.

_Oh you're gonna pay for making me beg, Eric. I promise you that. _

'You okay, Eric? You seem to be sporting a little wood there.' Sookie said teasingly, as she cast her eyes down to the impressive bulge in his pants.

'Relieve me, Sookie.' the Viking said, beginning to unbuckle his belt. Before he could finish the job of removing his pants though, the fairy telepath stopped his actions by flipping them over.

'Of course I can relieve you, Eric. No problem.' Sookie whispered, as she finished pulling his pants off and setting his throbbing cock free. Smiling widely at her coming conquest, Sookie took a firm grip of his length and began to move her hand up and down at an excruciatingly slow pace, which frustrated Eric to no end.

_What the fuck? I can't take this pace, it's making me insane! _That particular sentence was playing over and over in his mind.

'Faster, my lover.' the Norseman commanded, his eyes closed in pleasure and waiting for her acquiescence.

'But I like this speed _perfectly_ fine.' the telepath said nonchalantly, continuing with her maddening strokes, before she took him into her mouth and resumed the same slow rhythm.

'Sookie…faster!' Eric said, his tone raised as he bucked slightly into Sookie's warm, wet mouth. She complied and sped up, before slowing down again then moving to align her wet folds with the tip of his cock. The Viking thought he was about to get exactly what he wanted, but was then confronted with the empty feeling of air surrounding his length. Sookie had chosen to stop completely and was now only sitting astride his stomach, doing nothing except to stare with a smile on her face.

_Fuuuuucccccckk. _Eric cursed internally, noting how the tables had turned so quickly.

'My lover, do go back to your earlier intentions.' he said in a whisper as he looked up at her.

'Why would I do that? I don't like your commanding tone, mind you. But, you can say a nice please and maybe beg a little. Who knows?' Sookie replied teasingly.

'I am a Viking, and we Vikings do not beg.' he said, adamant.

Undeterred, Sookie moved her mouth to his length again, giving his shaft tiny, teasing flicks before she took as much as she could into her mouth and sucked forcefully.

'Sookie, ugh…' Eric began to mumble out incoherently.

The telepathic fairy continued her ministrations, satisfied that he was beginning to claw at the rug while bucking into her mouth quite erratically. She stopped again after a few moments, which caused her Viking to let out a loud growl of clear dissatisfaction.

'All you have to do is say please, you know. And then you can have what you want. It's that easy, Eric. All you have to do is say _please_.' Sookie said huskily, as she licked the underside of his length once, before once again positioning his cock at her entrance.

'So what'll it be, Viking?' Sookie asked, running the tip of his erection over her folds, coating it with her wetness.

_Fuck being a warrior, and fuck being a Viking. I'll say fucking anything to get myself inside her. _Eric thought in capitulation.

'I beg you lover, let me be inside you. I _need_ you, you know that.' the vampire said in a guttural voice, staring straight into his bonded's eyes to gauge her reaction. The sight he saw made his insides whir with anticipation, as the look in Sookie's eyes said only one thing. _Come and get it._

'Well then what are you waiting for? We don't have all night you know, so fuck me already, Eric!' Sookie said finally, as the Norseman slammed his entire length into her in one smooth motion, letting out a growl of animalistic satisfaction as he began to move.

'Uh, uuuuhhhhh!' the Viking mumbled, as he thrust into the perfection of Sookie's tight channel, fully intent on claiming her with everything he had.

'Oh God, you feel so good, Eric. Ugh, God, Lord in heaven!' Sookie said, gripping onto Eric's shoulders for support as he mercilessly pounded into her.

'You are perfect, so very tight and hot, and you know you're mine. Only mine!' he said forcefully, his hands pressing heavily on her hips as the pair of them continued to fuck with wild, unrestrained abandon.

'Yes, I am yours.' Sookie said in a whisper, raking his nails across his back and causing him to roar at the exquisite pain.

'A whisper is not enough. Scream for me, my lover. Scream my name as I fuck you. Tell the whole world who you belong to when I make you come.' Eric commanded in a voice full of lust, still not slowing at all as he began to tilt her neck to the side.

'Well then _show_ me that I belong to you. Faster, Eric. Faster, please, I'm almost there!' the telepath said, her voice desperate. The Viking complied without hesitation, now thrusting at almost vampire speed as his fangs dropped and began to graze the perfect column of his fairy lover's neck.

'That's it, my love. Come with me. Scream my name to the world as I claim you with my bite!' Eric yelled, biting down at the exact moment when he began to feel the tremors of Sookie's orgasm clenching his cock deliciously.

'Uh, uh, uhhhhh, Eric! Ungh, oh God, Eric!' Sookie screamed out into the night, her climax coming at exactly the same moment as the Viking's, his seed shooting out of him and right into her as he drank his fill of her sweet blood, both riding the aftershocks together.

Time-wise, it took a good fifteen minutes for both of them to recover from their violent release, returning to a state where they were both able to talk somewhat coherently again. Ever smug, Eric licked lazily on the punctures to heal them, before he put on a wide grin and looked at Sookie with his eyes alight.

'I told you, my lover. You really are mine, and no one else's.' the Viking said smugly as he stroked his bonded's arms absently.

'High talk coming from someone who was practically begging to get inside me.' Sookie said with a chuckle.

'Touché, my sexy little vixen.' Eric said, as he lounged comfortably on the rug with his fairy telepath, who soon let out a huge yawn.

'See, I told you I had a point. That was amazing, by the way. Tiring, but undeniably amazing.' Sookie said, leaning against her vampire's sculpted chest.

'Well thank you for your glowing opinion of my skills, lover. In any case, you are tired. Come now, I will take you to bed.' the Viking said gently, scooping Sookie up and flashing to the bedroom, where he set his bonded down.

As he was tucking the covers up around her gloriously naked form, Eric soon noticed a folded note resting against the bedside lamp, addressed to Sookie.

'For you, sweetling.' he said, handing her the slip of paper, which put a smile on her face as she reached the end.

'This is great! Gosh, Calixto is awesome!' Sookie said happily.

'What is, my love?' Eric asked.

'Read for yourself.' the telepath said as she handed the Norse vampire the note, which succeeded in making him smile too as he got to the end.

_Lady Sookie,_

_I apologize personally if the sudden changes to your house made you unhappy in some way. Lord Dermot and I never had such intentions. Having said that, I was the one who altered your bedroom as it is now with my magic, so please allow me to make at least a few reparations._

_I am aware you are bonded to the Viking. I have included light-tight shutters for this bedroom of yours, as I am sure you may want to spend time here with the Norseman. I hope you consider it a gesture of my deep and sincere esteem for you. Please press the button hidden inside the top drawer of your bedside table to activate it when necessary. I sincerely hope my actions were pleasing and of course, think nothing of it. This is my act of putting my magic to use for the purpose of making you happy, as you are my main concern, my ward and my mistress._

_Lastly, I am in the Fae Realm with Alvar and your grandfather the Prince, as we had some things to discuss. Alvar and I will be back tomorrow morning to guard you and the Viking, should he choose to stay in this residence. The cloak we placed on your house has also been removed, but you need not concern yourself. There will be no questions about the sudden changes, Alvar and I assure you. Please rest well._

_Your humble servant,_

_Calixto_

'Well, this fairy at least is a smart one. I think I like him somewhat.' Eric conceded, as he set the note down again and pressed the button as instructed, seeing the windows black out securely.

'You like him more than me?' Sookie said, her voice teasing.

'Of course not, my darling. There is no one I like more than you. In fact, you should know, your old Viking loves you dearly.' Eric said, climbing into the large bed and pulling up the covers before he rested his arm across Sookie's waist.

'Will you rest with me here, Eric?' the telepath asked as she snuggled into her vampire's chest.

'Yes I will, lover. Will you protect me in the day when your fairy guards come back?' Eric asked gently, his voice somewhat boyish.

'With my life, Eric. I'll keep you safe.' she said finally, before she drifted off to sleep holding hands with her Viking vampire.

A/N Woo, gratuitous, dirty smut, topped off with a dose of slight fluff! Anyway, I really don't have much to say, except to ask you all to leave a review for this chapter, and send in any questions you may have. I love reading each review, and coming up with the answer to each of your queries. Having said that, see you guys in the next chapter!


	14. Chapter 14

A/N Okay everyone. Remember, I am now trying to get on a more regular update schedule, which is why we have this new chapter. I hereby award myself some brownie points, literally. I'm _so_ gonna eat some brownies to celebrate my achievement.

First off, let's deal with the main storyline of this work. This chapter will be quite long, filled with training on both sides. The first part of this chapter will be in the day time, concerning Sookie's Fae powers, and then the second part will deal with Eric and Sookie together. After that, the next chapter will be one of a preparatory nature which will be sprinkled with some citrus. After that, we will have the epic fight with Russell we've all been waiting for. Let me tell you, Edgington will not go down without a huge fight though.

Secondly, thank you again you guys for all the _encouraging_ and _useful_ reviews. Check it out, we only have thirteen chapters excluding this one, and we're already on the threshold of 200. If you don't mind me saying, that is awesome! That gives us a ratio of 14.692 reviews per chapter. The goal is to get that higher, if at all possible.

Anyway, God, I am a huge numbers nut. That said, the content of this chapter owes a debt to _bannerdawn _for inspiring me to get the Viking ready for battle, _ashmo2000_ for providing the idea of the interaction with the shocked Fae guards, _Modiggy _for the support, _IkeaGoddess _and _88spike _for causing me to write an insane amount of smut in this chapter, and also to _ncmiss12 _for filling my head with ideas for Sookie's training! A very special mention goes to _Rossi's Lil Devil, _for her unforgettably amazing compliment! To all the other reviewers, a huge thank you for showing me your support, thoughts and asking questions as I go. Viking blessings be with you all and on to the story!

Chapter 14

The next day, Sookie woke to the sensation of being unable to move. Her instincts kicked in and she began to internally panic, until she turned her head and came face to face with her resting vampire.

Instead of her earlier sense of fear, Sookie calmed down into a state of lazy adoration, showering Eric's face with gentle kisses for the next few minutes.

_God, he is so beautiful, _she thought, before she began to feel a gnawing pressure on her belly, signaling her human needs making themselves known.

'I need to pee, Eric. And oh my God, you weigh a ton!' she said in frustration, even though she knew he would not move an inch. Using all her strength, she lifted his arm and leg, which were draped over hers possessively. It was not until a few tries later that she succeeded in her task, huffing at the exertion.

Finally free, she raced to the bathroom and emerged a few minutes later, reasonably ready to start the day. She looked at the clock, which read 1:30.

_Well goddamn it. I never used to wake up at one in the frickin' afternoon when I didn't know vampires. For the sake of fairness though, last night was very uh, strenuous. _Sookie thought, a blush creeping its way onto her cheeks.

Deciding to head down the stairs in a loose pink tee and shorts, Sookie was greeted by a sight she did not want, nor expect to see. True to his word, Calixto was back with Alvar and Dermot. However, while she could hear Dermot shuffling in the kitchen, Alvar was holding ripped pieces of fabric. More specifically, pieces of her panties. Calixto was nowhere in sight.

_God fucking damn it. _Sookie thought, alarmed.

'Alvar put that down!' she said in embarrassment, running down the stairs to fetch the panties from his hands.

'Is something wrong, Lady Sookie? Your uncle tasked Calixto and I with cleaning while he prepares your food. I believe Calixto found your dress and other undergarments. They have been disposed of already. May I take those so I can do the same?' Alvar asked, holding his hands out languidly.

'No you, most certainly cannot. I'll dispose of this myself, thank you very much.' Sookie nodded.

'Nonsense. I can do that.' Alvar insisted, before he grabbed the tatters from her hands and watched them disappear through his magic.

_Fine. You can frigging make them disappear with magic. Whatever. _Sookie thought, heading to the dining area, following the alluring scent of food.

'Hello, my dove. You smell like the Viking.' Dermot said as he took a whiff of his niece, making her sit down across from him at the table.

'Good afternoon Uncle.' _I don't care if you can smell Eric on me. Consider it fucking payback for changing my house without my permission. Take that, you magical fuckers. _'Nice spread, by the way.' she said, already stabbing her fork at the chicken, and then taking a muffin from the assortment of breads and pastries, accompanied by a slice of the appealing omelet in front of her.

'I am very pleased that you like my selections. Eat hearty, mind you. The rest of today will be dedicated to training, as I want you to learn some useful skills in time for the battle to come.' The half-fairy put a Danish pastry on his plate, combined with a thick slice of the meat and vegetable omelet he'd prepared courtesy of his powers.

'How about the guards? Aren't they gonna eat?' Sookie asked, after taking a sip of coffee. Even though it was already early afternoon, the telepath still wanted her brew.

'No need, Lady Sookie. We ate while Lord Dermot was speaking with Prince Niall in the Fae Realm. We went here straight after, so we are still quite full.' Alvar said.

'So where's Calixto?' Sookie asked her lone guard.

'He was cleaning up the leaves after his task with your clothes, Madam. I believe he is now posted outside the door of your bedroom, guarding your Viking in his day rest.' he said, matter-of-factly.

Sookie did not react verbally, since the note from last night convinced her that Calixto was a rather tolerant Fae, and committed to protecting both her and Eric. Instead, she just gave Alvar a smile and continued eating until she felt full.

Finally, she leaned back in her chair and let out a satisfied breath, looking at her uncle.

'Are you still eating or can we train? Honestly, I wanna learn as much as possible so I can help Eric with this war we're about to get into.' she said, standing up as she watched Dermot take one last bite of the omelet.

'Come then.' he said as he stood and walked to the living room, trailed by his niece and Alvar.

'We will begin with conjuring, as you have already mastered that somewhat. Think of something you desire intensely, and go from there.' Dermot instructed.

As told, Sookie began to think of helping Eric defend himself in battle. Before long, a gleaming sword with carved hilt appeared in her hands, with part of the handle embellished with scales while the top looked like a dragon head.

'You were thinking of aiding the Norseman, my dove. I am very pleased, and you have managed to make a sword from Damascus steel, no less! That way of making swords has been lost for centuries now, but it makes the sword tremendously strong and flexible. Thank the gods it is not from iron though. Iron weakens fairies, and if we are injured by an iron implement or come too close to it for too long, we die.' Dermot explained.

'I _was_ thinking of him. All I thought about was how I wanted him to have something good to defend himself with. And anyway, since I'm only Fae by a tiny smidgen, iron doesn't affect me too much, if at all, and I've been around it all my life, for God's sake. As for it being made from Damascus steel, I have no idea what that means, so I'll just let that go.' Sookie said with a sigh.

'Quickly, my dear. Conjure a case for it. It will protect the sword, and is good practice for you as well.' Dermot commanded.

Soon enough, the sword was safely kept in its new case for Eric, and the telepath took it to the kitchen area where she kept it in one of the cabinets. Upon coming back Dermot made her conjure a few more things, which resulted in a new vase, a wad of cash, a can of tuna and an orange. Sookie's uncle took a few minutes to congratulate her each time, and then he spoke again.

'As I want to teach you how to teleport, this is as good a time as any. Do you remember the exercise I taught you before?' the half-fairy asked.

'Yeah I do.'

'Well then, go do it. As I asked last time, I need you to center your energy. Learn to be one with it instead of thinking of your magic as a separate skill or entity. Do not think in terms of _you and your magic._ Rather, think in terms of yourself _being_ magical. Once you are in such a mindset, feel your magical energies suffusing your whole body with power. After that, think intensely of your front yard, since that is your destination. The magic will do the rest.' Dermot said, waiting anxiously for the outcome.

Seeing that Dermot was in _Serious Fairy Training Mode, _Sookie did as told and once again sought to find the power within her. As for thinking of herself being magical, she wasn't quite there yet. Mentally, it had been extremely difficult for her to reconcile her human upbringing with the concept of being a magical being. Regardless, she tried to think her hardest about the front yard, but instead teleported a measly three meters forward.

'Well that was a failure.' Sookie said, annoyed at herself and feeling drained at having used so much power in such a short time.

'Indeed it was. You're _still_ denying your nature, aren't you?' Dermot accused.

'You really can't blame me for thinking like a human. I've always thought like a freaking human until very recently. I can't change overnight.' Sookie said in answer.

'We do not have the luxury of time. I cannot hold your hand and traipse with you in _meadows_ as I teach you what it means to be Fae. In case you forgot, my dear niece, you have a _war_ you need to win, and it's coming in the next two days. What I ask you to is simply to accept that you are _not_ human. Do this for me, and everything will fall into place as it should. Accept and embrace the fact that you are _not _human. Never have been, never will be. Just accept the truth. You are Fae!' the half-fairy said, before mentally willing his voice to return to its normal, gentle tone.

'You think I don't know that we don't have time? I know there's gonna be a war, okay? It's eating at me, the possibility that Eric might get hurt in some way, or somebody I care about will die. For crying out loud, I'm even frickin' concerned for Gregory, and I haven't even known him that long! As for being Fae, goddamn it, I never knew I was Fae for the majority of my life! I cannot _just _accept it! God, I need a break!' Sookie muttered.

'There is no time for breaks! War does not give you a _break_. Mastering some of your more useful abilities may mean _life or death_ for you and those you love. Later, I will teach you to master the skill you call your microwave fingers. After that, we will do some more exercises in conjuring.' He made a gesture of breathing and centering, before he continued.

'Now focus, my dear niece. You need to focus in order to channel your energy properly. Try again.' Dermot said.

'Just give me some time to nap. That's all I ask. And, if I may say so, you're _way_ worse than Eric right now. Even when he asked me to help with finding Godric in Dallas, he was never like you. He commanded me yeah, but he was nowhere near where you are. You're like a fucking slave driver, Uncle Dermot!' the telepath said, as she sat on the couch and closed her eyes for a short ten-minute nap which her uncle finally allowed, if somewhat begrudgingly.

_Ah, a nap. I suppose she needs it. My dear Sookie shows such promise, and I know she will be extremely useful in the battle if only she can master her powers. By the Gods, she called me her slave driver. When will she see that I only have her interests in mind? Our family is growing less and less, and she must be protected. Dear gods in the heavens, help me. _Dermot thought.

Left in silence and recalling the frequent mention of Eric in his most recent conversations with Sookie, a figurative light bulb lit itself up high above the half-fairy's head.

'I will kill the Viking.' he said, very calmly but loudly.

Sookie woke with a start.

'Excuse me, you'll what?' she managed to choke out, instantly on high alert.

'Like I said, I will kill the Viking. I am convinced that his dark energy, dormant as it is because of his day rest, is masking your own. So, the simple solution would be to kill him.' The half-fairy popped to the outside of the bedroom, and spoke in a cold voice.

'Out of my way.' he commanded the guard, who stepped aside after some deliberation. Dermot opened the door and smiled his beautiful fairy smile at Sookie, who was already standing protectively next to the bed.

'A spectacular job, my darling niece. I told you, did I not? All you need is _focus_, and the belief that you are _truly_ very magical. As for this particular exercise in teleportation, we are done. Let us leave the Viking to his rest and we can continue training downstairs.' he said, trying to appease her agitation, putting his hands on her shoulders and speaking soothingly.

'That was seriously fucked up, and out of line.' the telepath said, still not moving from her spot near her vampire.

'I know it was my dove, but I needed to push you further. Knowing your love for this vampire, I knew that a threat to him was the best thing to prod you into action. It worked as well as I had hoped it would, given the particular circumstances.' Dermot explained. 'But I am curious though, my little one. If I _had_ been a serious threat, what would you have done?'

'I really don't know the method I would've used, but I would make damn sure it ended in your death, no matter what. Now go downstairs, Uncle. I'll join you soon.' The telepath's voice was edgy and laced with seriousness.

'But we must train you, Sookie!' her uncle said insistently.

'I said, just _go downstairs, _and Calixto can go with you too.' she said warningly, watching his retreating back as he exited her bedroom. Once alone with her vampire, she placed a tender kiss on his forehead and sent him a huge wave of love tinged with protectiveness through the bond. Much to her surprise, Eric jolted awake and looked at her groggily.

'Oh fucking shit, I'm sorry Eric.' Sookie began to ramble out, a blush staining her cheeks.

'I love you, my angel. Did you protect me?' he managed to say, though his voice was akin to that of a very tired man, which was true. He wasn't supposed to be up.

'Yes I did. I love you too, very much.' she whispered back as she sat on the bed.

'Lie down, lover.' he said, viciously struggling to stay awake with a mighty effort.

'But I have training with Uncle Dermot! Go back to sleep, you stubborn Viking.' she said by way of explanation.

'Stay with me? Please?' he said, with his voice as innocently pleading as it had been when he still had amnesia, an echo of when he'd almost begged Sookie to stay in his cubby after the episode of his fairy-induced venture into the swamp. The telepath had also noticed that her Viking had laid a hand atop hers.

'Okay, I'll stay with you, and then I'll just train later in the afternoon. Now go back to sleep.' she said, slipping into bed and giving him a kiss as she draped her arm over his waist.

'I love you.' he managed to say as he receded back into his daytime rest, which caused Sookie to kiss his lips again before snuggling against him and closing her own eyes.

Downstairs, the three Fae males in the house decided to hold an impromptu council in the living room. Dermot, as the highest ranked, naturally spoke first.

'Father says he will send more warriors to back up the vampires. You have been told of this?'

'Yes, Lord Dermot. I believe he plans to make sure they are out of sight, so as not to make the vampires feel inadequate or upstaged.' Alvar said.

'If I may interject, Sir. How goes the Lady's training?' Calixto asked with a scratch of his head, his other hand resting on the hilt of the sword he always carried.

_Not well, I assume. He trains her with no regard for her frailties. When will Lord Dermot ever learn? I swear, Lord Fintan was so much better at dealing with members of the family in this realm. Why does he not just ask the Viking? He will learn so much about her. _Calixto thought.

'She is resisting her nature. For so long she has believed that she is human. If we had time I would take this slowly, but as the war looms, I have had to greatly accelerate the pace. I am afraid it wears her out quite easily.' Dermot answered.

'I think you should use a different approach with her, Lord Dermot. I heard her earlier from my post outside her bedroom. She called you a slave driver. That cannot signal good things.' the brown-haired Calixto said, thoughts still running wildly through his head.

It was Dermot's turn to run a hand through his golden hair, becoming silent for a few seconds before he spoke again.

'I don't know what other approach to use. My brother was always more rooted in gentleness than I was. You know my proclivities; I liked battles more than him. That proclivity is showing in how I train her. I love her so dearly, but I train her as I train Father's warriors.'

_Truthfully, how else will I train her? I have been at the helm of training so many guards and soldiers, such that I do not know how to do otherwise for my dear Sookie. _Dermot thought sadly.

'She is not a Fae warrior, Sir. Perhaps you should think of her more as family, as your niece, while you train her. It might just work.' Alvar answered, breaking into the conversation.

'Or else you will have to confront the Viking for upsetting her, and you know he is older than you. Even I would not want that to happen, Lord Dermot.' Calixto said.

'Ah yes. But I am more magical, am I not? And I am not exactly an idiot with a sword.' the half-fairy said, looking at the brown-haired and then the raven-haired warrior in turn.

'But he is more battle-hardened, Sir. You have been in battles yes, but mostly you are a trainer. He is a warrior through and through, and an unforgiving one at that. While you are indeed more magical, I do not doubt that he will have the motivations and skills to destroy you simply because he perceives you as a threat to his bonded's happiness.' Calixto explained, trying not to offend Niall's son.

'Do not underestimate how he protects those he cares about, my lord. You have been in the Fae Realm quite a lot recently, but I often do reconnaissance in this plane for the Prince. I have seen the Viking in battle, and he is vicious. For those episodes alone, I respect him a great deal already. It would be very wise not to offend him.' Alvar added.

_And also, the Fairy Prince would punish us if you died because of your own folly. Why must you keep making an enemy of the Norseman? _Alvar thought.

'The counsel is much appreciated. I admit, I have provoked the Viking quite a few times already. I will endeavor not to keep doing so. For my own safety, and for my niece's sake as well.' Dermot said respectfully to the two warriors.

_Thank the Gods you are finally showing some sense, Lord Dermot. _Alvar's mind whispered, much to his own delight.

'We are glad you accepted our words without offense, Sir. Alvar and I have been in the service of the Royal Family for centuries now, and we only wish to protect you as a part of that family.' Calixto said, with a devastatingly beautiful smile.

'That's settled then. Sir, what do we do for Lady Sookie's training?' the black-haired Alvar asked, both hands resting on top of his own sword's hilt.

'I will try to be gentler, even with the knowledge that war is coming. She does not respond well to forcefulness, it seems. However, that is only my general direction for training. As to the specific steps, I am still foggy.' the half-fairy answered with a sigh.

'Perhaps ask the Viking, my lord? He knows her better than we all do.' Calixto supplied helpfully.

_Please let him discard his prejudices and just ask the Viking! _Calixto ruffled his brown hair a bit.

'We have some differences. I think it would be best if you or Alvar did that for me.'

_No such luck. I'll do it myself. _Calixto thought again.

'May I suggest myself, Lord Dermot? I see no harm in asking help from the Norseman.' he said, looking at Alvar for any objection. There was none.

'Very well. I am afraid our conversation has gone on longer than expected, it is now nearing nighttime. Alvar, you will place a protection ward on this house, while I visit Father in our realm. Calixto, guard your mistress now. Are my instructions understood, both of you?' Dermot asked, his tone aristocratic.

'Perfectly, my Lord.' the two answered in unison, before Dermot popped away.

Once he was gone, Alvar placed a hand on Calixto's shoulder, making him sit down once again.

'What is it, brother?' Calixto asked.

'You really trust the Norseman has Lady Sookie's best interests at heart? He has been a vampire for so long, and they are the sworn enemies of our kind. Surely he has not changed in such a short time?' Alvar's eyes were pensive as he waited for his fraternal twin's answer.

'Yes I do trust him, my brother. When we were in his bar, I saw how he held her, how he looked at her. I dare say he is more loving of her than most Fae males are with their own mates, and I never expected to say that about a vampire. As for his tendencies, he will be naturally mistrustful of us, but never of her. And yes, I do believe that one as old as the Viking can change.' he explained patiently.

_I saw with my own eyes what I never thought I would see. The Viking, a thousand-year old vampire warrior, holding Sookie while she sat in his lap. I saw his eyes, and how they looked at her with love and tender adoration. I saw his countenance, willing to fight and die for her if the need arose. I saw him and her, and I believe he has already changed. I only wish you would have seen it by paying attention, Alvar. You would believe too. _Calixto thought, as he looked at his raven-haired twin.

'What is the reason for your belief, brother?' Alvar asked curiously.

'Love.' Calixto said plainly, before he popped away and materialized to stand guard outside Sookie's bedroom.

Alvar dematerialized after a while as well, having taken a few moments to ponder his brother's words before heading off to place the wards as he had been instructed.

While the guards busied themselves in the human plane, Dermot was walking along the hallway to his father's private study in the Fae Realm, taking the time to mull over everything that had occurred between him and his niece, with the intention of asking Niall for advice. He was greeted with nods and bows as he passed, while he acknowledged them with a smile.

Having reached the carved double doors, he nodded to the guards, who opened them for him with a low bow of deference.

'Hello, Father.' Dermot greeted, before popping and ending up seated in a chair in front of the Fairy Prince.

'Hello, my son. Why have you come? Is all not well with Sookie?' Niall asked immediately, putting down the quill he had been using.

'Everything is excellent as far as she is concerned, and she was resting with the Viking when I left. I have my own purpose here, to come and ask for counsel regarding me and her.'

'I thought you both were getting along splendidly?'

'Mostly yes, Father. As you know, training is going well and Sookie has already mastered conjuring. However, I am afraid that my methods remind her of a slave driver, and she wears out quite easily when I push her.' the half-fairy explained, accompanied by gestures of his hands.

_I knew this would happen. You are training her as if she is some guard I sent you teach. Perhaps I should come there and take over her training from you. _Niall thought.

'Would you like my help? She will respond more easily to me since she already thinks well of me as her grandparent.' the Prince said helpfully.

'If it is not too much trouble to you, Father, the assistance would be welcome. Are you sure this is not too much of an imposition? I know you have to hold Court today.' Dermot said.

'Sookie is very important to us all, and I love her very much. I would also like the opportunity to see how the Norseman interacts with her in more natural settings once he wakes. Besides that, she is such a sweet child and I would like to spend some time with her.' Niall said, to assuage his son's slight sense of guilt.

'Will we go now?' Dermot asked.

'I will have my gift for her fetched first. Morin!' Niall yelled, causing a startled fairy female to appear in front of him instantly.

'Yes, Prince?' she said with a bow.

'Fetch the jewels I asked you to take from the vault yesterday.' he commanded imperiously.

Morin popped away in obedience, coming back a few seconds later with a box in her hands, inlaid with intricate carvings and the letters N and E on the front.

'Mother's jewels!' Dermot said, in awe.

'Yes they are. I retrieved them after her death, and have always kept them in my vaults. I think it is fitting that Sookie will have them now. She is so much like her, you know.' Niall explained, running his fingers over the box lovingly.

_My sweet, sweet Einin. Sookie is so much like you, and even though I promised I would never give these to another, giving them to her is like returning them to you. _

'So we can go?' the half-fairy asked, interrupting Niall's contemplative thoughts.

'I think it is best if you stayed here for a while. Administer my affairs, and I will take your place as Sookie's trainer. I will call you back when you are necessary.' the Prince answered.

'Though it pains me to know of my failure, I will of course do as you wish, Father.' Dermot said, bowing in front of Niall.

Having finished his conversation, Niall dematerialized and ended up on the night-darkened lawn of his great granddaughter's house, startling Alvar who was nearly done with the sixth layer of the ward he was placing. The warrior dropped on one knee and kept his head down as he greeted his sovereign.

'Welcome, Prince. Oh, and if you want the time here, it is nearly eight, judging from the dark.' Alvar said, knowing that time worked very differently in the Fae Realm.

'Thank you, and you may stand. What are you doing?'

'Finishing the protective wards, Sire. Your son asked to have them placed on the house and property, and I am doing as I was commanded.'

'Go back to what you were doing. I will help you.' Niall instructed. Alvar raised his hand and began to make gestures again, while Niall chanted under his breath, adding to the strength of the wards with his own magical energy.

Having finished their task, the Prince turned to Alvar.

'Has Sookie woken yet? And where is your brother?'

'He is outside her bedroom, Prince. He stood guard while I was doing the wards out here. Lady Sookie may or may not be awake yet, but I know the Viking is up as it is already evening, my lord . I am afraid her training session with Lord Dermot caused her to tire quickly.' Alvar said, holding the door open as Niall entered and looked approvingly at the changes to the house.

'Very good, these changes. I particularly approve of the drapes. Are these Dermot's idea?' Niall asked.

'Yes, Prince. Your son wanted her to embrace her high station in life, as well as to reinforce her Brigant heritage, so he did this. Shall I see if Lady Sookie is awake, my lord?' Alvar questioned.

'I will wake her, on the off chance that she is not. You stand guard outside the front door.' The Prince said in his common, commanding tone.

He had no sooner finished his statement, when he walked regally upstairs. Once there, Calixto knelt as Alvar had done, and then looked at him hesitantly.

'I beg you not to go in right now, my Prince. You will not like it, I fear.'

'Nonsense. I wish to see my granddaughter now. Stand aside.' the Prince said imperiously.

Unable to refuse, Calixto did as he was asked. Niall was greeted by a sight that made him want to retch horribly.

Eric was naked and emitting little sounds of pleasure on top of Sookie, still making gentle thrusting movements as he drank lazily from her neck in the afterglow of their lovemaking. All the while, Sookie moaned loudly underneath him, writhing against the pile of blankets on the bed beneath her. Both were oblivious to the sound of the door opening, completely focused on the pursuit of their own pleasure.

Not able to withstand the sight any longer, Niall cleared his throat, which made Sookie shriek while it earned a growl from Eric.

'Oh God! I'm sorry! Hello, Grandpa.' she said shyly, embarrassed to have been caught at such an intimate moment.

_Please let the Earth swallow me alive, this bed and Eric included. _Sookie thought, blushing as she struggled to hide her face against Eric's chest now that they were laying side-by-side, covered by the blankets.

'What the fuck do you want Niall?' Eric said angrily.

_Fucking hell. Of all the times he could choose to show up, this is the one he chooses. Motherfucking bastard! _The Viking's thoughts echoed the anger of his question.

'I have come to train her. I can see I came at a bad time.' Niall explained.

'Oh no, you came at a very good time for us. It would've have been better if you hadn't fucking showed up uninvited.' the Viking said with a huff, keeping Sookie close to him.

'I apologize. Now that you two are done, let us be off. Sookie, please get dressed.'

'And what if I want to keep her here and fuck her again first?' Eric said, keeping his hand on top of Sookie's waist in a challenging gesture.

'Eric!' Sookie said chidingly, before she addressed her great grandfather. 'Grandpa, I'm really sorry. Please just wait downstairs and make yourself comfortable while we get decent.'

Niall nodded his assent, before popping away.

Once alone, the Viking immediately crushed his lips against Sookie's, retaking his place on top of her as he pressed his hardening length against her naked center.

_By the Gods, her wet warmth is delicious. _Eric thought, pressing himself more insistently against hers in his craving for friction.

'Eric, stop it! Prince Niall is waiting downstairs!' the telepath said, trying to stop him from claiming her mouth with his own.

'I don't care who's waiting outside. Your first responsibility is to keep _me_ sated, and _I_ should be your first concern always.' Eric said, before moving to the unbitten side of her neck and laving it with wet kisses that left her panting in need.

However much she wanted to hide her enjoyment, Sookie couldn't help but let out a breathy sound of pleasure.

'Don't stop, Eric.' she said in a whisper, now that he had begun kneading her breasts with his talented hands.

_Fuck Niall. _Sookie thought, surrendering to the sensations.

Noting her moment of capitulation through the emotions which colored their bond, Eric intensified his attentions with his hands, lips and tongue. Before long, Sookie was crying out for him to be inside her.

'Eric, I need you inside me right now.' she begged, clutching his hair as he suckled forcefully on her breast, his fingers rubbing her clit at a furious pace.

'Mmm, how much do you want me inside you, my lover?' Eric teased, as he ran his tongue over her nipple seductively.

'Do you want my cock slamming inside you over and over until you scream my name? Say yes, my Sookie. Tell me what I want to hear.' he said forcefully, needing her words like he needed her body and blood, as he continued to pleasure her with his talented mouth and fingers.

'God, yes. I need you so much Eric and I want you right now. Please, please fuck me.' Sookie spoke in a desperate tone.

'I will give you your desires, my lover, because I love you. Also because I desire them too.' he said hoarsely, entering her in one swift thrust, making her shout as he did so.

Sookie urged him on with her moans, not in the mood to have it be gentle. Eric latched onto the currents of need buzzing through the bond, taking them as his cue to speed up his movement while his hands kept her pressed closely against him.

'Eric...' she said raggedly, as her nails raked over his back.

'Lover, tell me you're mine.' he said, unfamiliar with the neediness he heard in his own voice as he moved powerfully inside her, over and over.

'You know I'm yours, Eric.' Sookie answered, full of confidence in her admission as she bucked to receive his thrusts.

'Now tell me that you will _always _belong to me. Assure me, my love. I need to hear you say that only _I_ will have you and _no one_ else. Promise me that only _I_ will have your body. Only _my_ fangs will pierce your skin and drink, as I fuck you until you forget your own name and scream out my own. Promise me!' the Viking commanded, the need to claim Sookie thrumming inside him with so much intensity that he almost couldn't bear it.

'I promise to be only yours, always.' the telepath replied, placing a deep kiss on his lips before moving to shower kisses on his neck and shoulders.

'Gods, I need you so much. I need you with me all the time, Sookie. I want you wrapped around my body; I want your blood flowing inside me and mine inside you, and I want for us to be one always. You have no idea how much I need you, how intensely I desire you with every fiber of my being.' Eric began to say, before pausing and withdrawing until only his tip was left in her, before thrusting all the way to the hilt and causing her to scream before she spoke.

'I need you too, Eric. I need you as much as I need air, and I can't live without you now. I'd die if we were apart, and I know that's the truth.'

'Sookie, tell me. Tell me you love me, only me.' Eric whispered desperately in her ear, thrusting forcefully as he pressed his body heavily against hers. He made love to her as if it were his last act before his true death, acting as if their bodies would meld into one if only he pressed her against him close enough.

_Tell me you love me as I claim you in our bed. I want to hear it from your lips, hear you say how you love only me and no one else. Tell me too, Sookie. Show me that you need and adore me just as much as I do with you. _Eric thought.

'I love you Eric. I love you like I've never loved anyone before or ever will again, and I'll be glad to tell you I love only you until my own death arrives.' Sookie said passionately, her tongue seeking out his as they kissed, moving against each other in a rhythm filled with need, erratic in its pace and forceful in its glorious intensity.

'I swear to the gods, I love you Sookie. I love you too.' Eric said hotly, and then he sank down to give her neck the attention of his tongue as he slammed into her over and over again, their movements causing the bed to creak under them.

Sookie wrapped her arms around him for dear life, letting out several moans to let him know that she was utterly enjoying his attention.

_Thank you, thank you God for giving Eric to me. _Sookie thought reverently as she held on tightly to her Norse vampire.

Unable to contain his fierce feeling of possessive victory, Eric sped up even more, his thrusts violent and filled with inflamed passion. Before long, Sookie was on the cusp of what she estimated to be the most amazing climax of her entire life so far.

'Oh God, Eric, I'm almost there…' she said lowly, her nails already digging into his shoulders as she bucked upwards to meet his own frantic movements.

'Look into my eyes, lover. I want to watch you come, and let you see how I am overtaken by my own pleasure once you begin to come hard around my cock.' Eric commanded in a throaty whisper, immediately obeyed as Sookie opened her eyes to gaze up into his own.

The Viking thrust into Sookie a few more times, and was rewarded with the delicious sensation of her inner walls milking the release from him. He was immensely satisfied by the way her eyes glazed over as she came, and how she fought to keep them open at his request. Eric was sure that his own eyes reflected the same haze of need as he roared in completion.

He kept thrusting at a slightly slower pace, riding out the aftershocks with his lover and feeling his own shaft hardening again, insatiable in his need for her. Eric soon found himself licking the side of her neck, needing to taste Sookie and needing her to taste him as well.

'Do it, bite me, Eric. I need to feel you drink from me, just like I need your blood too.' she said, echoing his intentions. He let his fangs drop, before biting his own wrist savagely and pressing it to her lips.

No longer able to stop himself due to the sensations of her sucking, he sank down and bit her neck, welcoming the gush of blood as he drank deeply. He took quite a few long pulls, before retracting his fangs and growling loudly as he came inside her again, lost in sensation as her own release prolonged his own. The Viking moved off of his lover soon enough, so as not to crush her with his weight.

Both of them were completely spent, and took a good half hour to relax a bit before they busied themselves with getting ready to talk to Niall. Calixto had the good sense not to make any comments as they passed him on the way to the living room, but trailed them as they walked.

The Prince had been waiting a good hour for them already, but was soon greeted with the sight of them walking together towards him. It made him sigh dejectedly.

_Well, it certainly took you a great deal of time to get decent. _Niall said sarcastically in his head, nodding in greeting as Eric and Sookie sat together on the couch opposite him, with Calixto and Alvar standing guard some distance away. Niall could smell _it_, that was for sure. The scent of sex was practically oozing off of their skin.

As if Eric could sense Niall's internal distaste, a smug grin found its way onto his handsome face, accompanied by a wink which Sookie didn't notice as she spoke.

'Sorry it took us so long, but it's nice to see you, Grandpa Niall.' Sookie said by way of greeting.

'Yes, it is also quite nice to see you, my dear. And before you can ask, Dermot is in the Fae Realm, since I have decided to train you in his stead. Is this acceptable?' the Prince asked with a small smile on his face.

'It's perfectly fine. Uncle Dermot was like a slave driver! It was crazy! But aside from that, he's been great, and he always prepares my food.' the telepath said.

'How dare your son treat Sookie that way, Niall? I ought to wring the life out of him for his stupid methods, that idiot!' Eric threatened, his eyes already alight. Knowing Dermot's own failures, Niall let Eric's threat pass without comment.

'Yes well, that is why I am here to replace him as her trainer. You will have to forgive him; he is used to training the guards and can be quite, uh, commanding.'

'I understand why he was that way, even though I didn't like it all that well. Anyway, I can conjure stuff pretty well now, but the teleportation is still a little spotty.' Sookie said, before she turned to Eric with happy eyes.

'I have a gift for you, by the way! I conjured it earlier; I think you'll like it.'

'I am sure I will like it, my lover, as it came from you.' Eric said indulgently.

Before Sookie could stand and get the sword from its place in one of the kitchen cabinets, Niall stopped her and turned the situation into an opportunity to train.

'Call it to you, my dear granddaughter. Center your energy, and think of how much you would like it to be in your hands, such that you can present it to the Viking without leaving his presence.'

_That's a nice way to put it, Grandpa. If only Uncle Dermot would phrase everything in terms of Eric, then training would be a hoot. _Sookie thought with a smile.

'Okay.' she said, closing her eyes to focus her power like Dermot had taught her. She filled her mind with an image of the sword and its case, and it appeared on her lap a few seconds later.

'Excellent! I knew you could do it, my child!' Niall beamed.

'What is this, my lover?' Eric asked, looking curiously at the case.

'Open it and find out, you big handsome lug.' Sookie said, looking at Eric to see his reaction.

He opened the case carefully and a wide smile crept its way onto his face, like it always did when he was looking at a good weapon.

_By the Gods, you truly grow more perfect with each passing second, my love. I am one very lucky vampire to have you as my bonded, _the Norseman thought adoringly.

'The sword is amazing, my angel! I am very happy you conjured this for me. I have another one of the same metal, but nowhere near as perfectly beautiful as this one. Thank you.' the Viking said, giving his fairy a gentle, grateful kiss.

'I'm happy you like it, Eric.'

'I love it, Sookie. I love it even more, knowing that it came from you.' Eric said, standing up and taking the sword for a spin, as it was, making a few slashes and movements at a safe distance from his fairy lover. For her part, Sookie was delighted to see him enjoying her gift.

'It handles very well, my sweetling. The perfect length and weight as well. Also, the dragon handle reminds me of our ships, so you have made me a very happy Viking.' the Norseman remarked as he looked back at Sookie. A second later, Niall stood and spoke as well.

'I too have a gift, but it is for you, my lovely child.' the Prince said.

Niall presented the ornate box to his great granddaughter, having modified the top to include a carved S in addition to the N and E which it had originally bore.

'Go on and open it, my dear.'

Sookie lifted the lid, and was stunned at the contents. There were rings and necklaces, earrings and various little trinkets, all made from gold inlaid with diamonds and other fine gemstones.

'This is too much Sir, but thank you. They're very beautiful.' Sookie said respectfully.

'Nowhere near your own loveliness, my Sookie. I am happy you liked my gift.' Niall began, 'But now, we must fill the rest of this young night with more useful pursuits. Viking, I will need your assistance in her training. Are you willing to do this for me, my son?'

_Well, crap! Since when has Grandpa Niall started calling Eric as his son? I must have missed something, but at least they look like they're getting along well. _

'I am willing to do what it takes to help her learn to protect herself.' the Norseman answered.

'Good, good. Now, polish your skills with the Fae guards, while I teach Sookie her part in this little training exercise.'

'Can I kill them?' Eric asked gleefully.

'No you most certainly cannot, Eric Northman!' Sookie said disapprovingly.

Eric made a show of being supremely disappointed, but soon stepped out to the yard and began to fight with Alvar and Calixto, pleased to have an opportunity to take his sword on a more extensive test run than earlier.

Left alone in the house with his descendant, Niall stood beside Sookie and pondered how best to breach the power he was intent on teaching her.

'My dear child. Dermot told me of your uh, _microwave fingers_. How much are you in control of that particular ability?' Niall asked.

'It only kicks in when there's a really serious threat to the people I care about, or to me personally. Otherwise it doesn't really show itself.'

'I see. As with all powers Sookie, the foundation of magic is belief in yourself. You have spent majority of your life thinking you are human, so you do not yet possess the full mindset of the Fae. Regardless, that mindset can be cultivated. Now, imagine your power as something inside of you, alive and vibrant. I care not if you visualize it as a thread, an orb, or if you make it colorful. All I want you to do is understand that it lives, just like you do.' the Prince instructed.

'Okay, I have it in my mind, but the visual is flickering.' Sookie said after thirty seconds of focusing her thoughts.

'Make the power concrete, child. If you wish, think of it as a thread of white, intertwined with black to represent the dark magic of your own vampire.' Niall said, convinced that including the Viking would help Sookie like the training more. It had the effect he predicted.

'Now I'm thinking of it as a rope that has alternating black and white. What now?' Sookie said confidently.

'Simply think of it a few seconds more, and then visualize your rope flowing into your arms, before shooting out of your hands.'

Following the Prince's lead, light soon shot out of Sookie's fingers. The unhappy effect was that she had singed the curtain in front of her and made Niall move away a bit.

'Wow. That was actually pretty darn easy.'

_I am fucking awesome! _Sookie couldn't resist thinking.

'Magic will be effortless to you soon enough. Now Sookie, I must ask you the same thing I asked your Viking. Are you willing to assist in keeping him in top form?' Niall asked.

'Of course I am.'

'Well then, you must do exactly as I say. Firstly, we will cloak ourselves so as to prevent him and the guards from seeing or hearing us, then we will head outside and you must promise me to think always of your magical nature in following my instructions. This is crucial to the success of tonight's training. Also, I will leave a fake version of you inside the house, to make this exercise more believable. You must trust my judgment and know that I will let no harm come to you whatsoever. Do you understand, Sookie?'

'Yes. I'm ready, let's do this.'

'Very good. Come now.' the Prince said as he cloaked them both. Using his power, he left the very real-looking facsimile version of Sookie inside the house, should Eric decide to look for her because of what they were about to do. He opened the door soundlessly and took up position with Sookie behind the Viking.

'Think of the Viking, and give him a nudge, Sookie. Use your microwave fingers to let him feel a sudden, but not too powerful pain.' Niall commanded.

'What?' Sookie asked incredulously.

'You promised to do as I say. Now hit him!' Niall said loudly, knowing that no one could hear or see them.

Much to her annoyance, Sookie did as the Prince asked and let out a small shot aimed at Eric. He was in the middle of fighting Alvar while Calixto looked on, and the shock of the pain in his back caused him to stop. The Norse vampire was immediately cautious.

'Niall, you fucking bastard!' Eric shouted into the wind, continuing to parry with Alvar.

'He thinks it's me. Now, practice your teleportation. Move so that you can hit him from the side.' the Prince said.

The telepath followed his instructions, thinking of her destination exactly as her uncle had taught. Before long, the Viking let out another surprised growl as he felt pain in his ribs.

'I don't fucking care if you're the Fairy Prince. I will find a way to kill you for your fucking interference, Niall!' Eric bellowed, causing Alvar to pause.

'Perhaps it is Sookie, Sheriff Northman.' Calixto said, causing Eric to head inside the house and straight back out again.

'It's the Prince. Sookie is standing right there.' the Norseman said, pointing back at the door.

'He really thinks it's me. Now, we will test his control. Stand behind him and give him a hug, then teleport back to me immediately.' Niall said.

His fairy great granddaughter happily did as she was instructed, watching somewhat amusedly as Eric stopped in his tracks and looked around frantically for her.

'This is actually kinda fun.' Sookie remarked.

'At least this way you get to practice, the Viking can polish his focus and I get the satisfaction of seeing your success in magic.' the Prince said with a nod. 'Now, I will send a message to Alvar, and then you will teleport so that you stand in the middle of them. Once there, give your Viking a kiss and we will see how he fares.'

Sookie did as instructed, while Niall sent his mental message at the exact same time.

_Stop fighting him. I am training Sookie, and she is cloaked in front of you. Do not harm her, do you understand me?_

_Yes, Prince Niall._

Alvar immediately stopped his movement, but it was the Viking who was most shocked. One minute he had been fighting, and in the next moment he could feel Sookie's lips on his, though she was nowhere in sight. He wanted to respond, but he feared looking stupid and kissing what seemed to be empty air.

Deciding that the exercise had been successfully concluded, Niall chanted under his breath and removed the cloak along with Fake-Sookie. He watched the Viking get startled, before Eric dropped the sword at his side and kissed the telepath.

'That was me, actually. Wasn't Niall at all.' Sookie said with a giggle as she broke away.

_I got you good, didn't I? _Sookie thought proudly.

Despite the fact that she had already pulled away, Eric was unwilling to stop and peppered her entire face with playful kisses, before fixing his clear blue gaze on her.

'I am very proud of you, lover. And I must admit, you had me fooled quite well.' the Viking said with a nod.

As for Niall, he clapped his hands delightedly before popping to stand near Eric and Sookie.

'Very good indeed, my dear Sookie. You have made enormous progress tonight alone, and I too am very proud of you.' The Prince laid a hand on his great granddaughter's shoulder, and gave her a beautiful smile.

'Thanks, both of you. You two,' she turned to her guards, 'thanks for helping Eric take his sword out for a spin. I'm grateful.'

The two guards bowed deeply at the waist, acknowledging her gratitude with a smile. Sookie smiled back, before turning to the Prince.

'I am tired though. It's been an exhausting night for me.'

'I understand. I too, have some things I want to prepare for tomorrow morning's training before I rest, so I would like to ask if I can occupy one of the spare bedrooms in this home. However, I would like to see you eat a bit first, so I will do that for you.' Niall said, heading back to the house with Sookie, Eric and the two guards in tow.

Once he was back inside, Niall conjured a pitcher of apple juice, as well as an assortment of berries accompanied by a bowl of cream, in addition to some loaves of hot bread courtesy of what Sookie liked to call _Fairy Fast Food. _

At the sight of the strawberries, Eric immediately had other ideas.

'Let us take the food back to our room, my sweet.' he whispered, smiling as Sookie nodded in affirmation.

'Grandpa, I'd like to eat in my bedroom so I can go to sleep straight after. Is that okay?' she asked, looking at Niall and her guards.

'Of course it is, my child. Here, I will have a tray with these foods for you.'

The Prince immediately waved his hand again, making a tray materialize in Sookie's hands. It was soon filled with everything he had conjured on the living room table.

'Thank you. Oh, and before I forget, just take your pick from the spare bedrooms. I hope you rest well, and I'll see you in the morning, Grandpa.' Sookie said.

'Yes, I bid you goodnight as well, Prince.' Eric added, impatient to get to the room.

'Very well. Have a good night, my children.' Niall said with a bow.

As soon as the Prince had given affirmation, Eric scooped Sookie up and flashed to the bedroom, careful not to have spilled anything from the tray. He took it quickly, placing it on the rather large bedside table, as he set Sookie down in the middle of their bed and immediately ripped off _all _her clothing, before shredding his own.

'Eric, what the hell?' the telepath said in shock.

'We are in bed, Sookie. I see no need for clothing, and you know I love how your skin feels against mine. Now just relax, and let me feed you.' he said, grabbing a strawberry and placing it against her supple lips.

Sookie opened her mouth and took a bite, letting out an involuntary moan at the berry's tart sweetness. As soon as he heard the sound, Eric's shaft twitched in anticipation. Taking the remaining half of the small fruit, he rubbed it along her lips and neck before feeding it to her.

He wasted no time and attacked her lips as soon as she had swallowed, his kiss almost bruising in its intensity. Before long, he was talking raggedly in between licking and nipping at her now strawberry-flavored neck.

'You taste,' _Lick._ 'so very…' _Lick, nip._ 'good, my love.'

For her part, Sookie was giggling as she asked for more.

'Again, Eric. And put some whipped cream this time.' she said.

'As my lady commands.' he said in his best imitation of the guards. He grabbed a handful of strawberries and dipped them in cream, before he fed them to her in quick succession. Afterwards, he stuck his finger in the cream over and over again, smearing it all over her chest and making sure to put a lot on those breasts of hers that he loved so much.

_I don't care if all this cream will make me fucking sick in a short while, I just can't resist the taste of her. And by the Gods, her breasts look so inviting and luscious. I must have her! _the Viking thought.

Thus steeled in his resolve, Eric proceeded to lick off every inch of cream in the valley of her breasts, before his mouth closed over one nipple and he sucked like a man starved, which was in retrospect a very accurate description.

_Thank God for whipped cream and Niall's powers! _Sookie thought.

'Oh, Eric.' the telepath said breathily, her eyes closed in pleasure, her back arched as she tried to press her breasts even closer to his mouth.

In those moments when she wasn't speaking, Sookie was letting out an endless stream of moans. Her hands were gripping Eric's hair, the exquisite pain causing him to suck even harder, before he moved his mouth on her other breast and gave it the same adoring worship.

After a while, Eric stopped. He was waiting for the moment in which he would be sick and have to throw up the food he'd consumed, but it never came.

'You okay, Viking?' Sookie asked.

'Sookie, I can eat.' he said simply, causing her eyes to grow wide in wonder.

'Oh my God, you're right! You ate all that cream! But, how can you eat, exactly?' she said, momentarily focused on the wonderment of the entire situation.

'I think it's your blood, or maybe our bond, or both. But I don't care, I intend to enjoy this new ability to the fullest.' he said with a nip of her neck, while letting his hand snake down to her dripping core.

'Now, let me kiss you as I bring you pleasure with my fingers, lover.' he said, before plunging two of his long digits in her tight sheath, pumping rhythmically as he crushed her lips to his. The wonder she'd felt earlier was now completely drowned out by unbearable desire.

He swallowed her moans and cries with his mouth, reveling in the glorious warmth surrounding his fingers as he began to move them faster inside her. Continuing for a long while at that speed, he soon decided to slow his pace. Before she could fall over the edge, he replaced his fingers with his stiff cock and flipped them over.

'Ride me, lover. Be my very own Valkyrie and ride me. Ride your Viking!' he commanded in a yell, looking at her intensely as she began to move herself up and down on his cock, guided by his hands on her hips.

'Holy fuck, Eric…' she said raggedly as she began to move faster and with greater force.

'Ah, Sookie! That's it, my love!' he shouted, his hands roaming over every bit of skin within reach, hugely turned on by the sight of her taking control.

Emboldened by Eric's cries of pleasure, Sookie suddenly felt brazen as she stopped and grabbed both sides of his face.

'Now you tell me, Eric. It's your turn, and I want to hear it. Tell me you're mine.' she commanded hoarsely.

'Yes, yes. I'm all yours lover. Take me!' he answered, bucking his hips upwards as he waited for the return of her movement.

She resumed her motion, although this time it was slower. To the Viking, the pace was pleasurably torturous _and_ maddeningly slow.

'Move faster, Sookie! I need you to move faster! Give me my release!' he yelled.

'Sorry, I didn't quite hear that. Care to tell me again?' she teased, smiling as she sped up just a tad for his sake.

_God, he looks so hot when he's losing control. How did I ever get so fuckin' lucky? _Sookie thought.

'Alright, I'll beg you for it. Sookie please, ride me faster. Ride me wildly until because you know you own me, and make me come inside that tight, hot sheath of yours until I'm spent. Now, fuck me. Do it, my love! Make me come inside you!' he shouted forcefully.

In answer to his passionate command, Sookie moved at a much faster pace, turned on by his words and the utterly sexual way in which he'd said them. Before long, she too began to feel her release on the far horizon, and moved to lower herself in a position where he could bite her easily, all the while continuing her frantic motion.

'Eric please, bite me!' she said desperately.

'I will. But as you have claimed me, so will I claim you. Who do you belong to, Sookie? Tell me!' he said hoarsely as he continued to guide her hips with his hands, meeting her downward movement with his own upward thrust.

'I belong to you. Always to you, and only to you.' she answered.

'Do you acknowledge that I am your master?' he asked her, beginning to buck against her erratically.

'Yes…'

'Yes what? You know my place in our hierarchy.'

'Yes, I belong to you, Sheriff Northman. You are my master, and I am yours.' she said, her voice growing strained as she neared her release, while Eric added to her efforts

_I will never forget that sentence. That is the most perfect sentence I have heard in my one thousand years on this Earth. _Eric thought.

'As I am yours, Sookie. I am and always will be only yours. You are my light, and I will love you forever.' he professed loudly, before he sank his fangs into her breast and reveled in the intoxicating rush of her blood into his waiting mouth as he held her against him.

'Eric!' she shouted as she came, her muscles clenching around his cock, prompting his own massive climax. The all-consuming sensations made him roar as his seed shot into her in one seemingly never-ending orgasm.

As for the bond, it only served to intensify the pleasure to a height they never thought existed, evidenced by the guttural shouts and deep groans which issued from their lips as they rode the aftershocks of their passion, ending with Sookie collapsing in a mindless pool of bliss onto the Viking. Intending to help soothe her as she wafted down from her high, the Norse vampire stroked his telepathic fairy's hair, deriving a sense of domesticity and satisfaction from that gesture. Contented, the thousand-year old vampire smiled.

After a long while though, they eventually found themselves lying satiated beside each other, whispering soothing words of love and adoration back and forth. Worn out, Sookie yawned and snuggled closer to Eric.

'Rest, my lover. Your old Viking is holding you, and he loves you very much.' he said, pulling up the covers and waiting for the dawn, lulled by her slow, soft breaths. His last thoughts before his rest were ones of gratitude to the gods for having given her to him.

A/N Okay, mega-amazing dose of smut! Anyway, a lot has happened in this chapter like I promised. Sookie has mastered her conjuring, Eric has a new sword and our stubborn telepath has some nifty new powers. Next up in our story, the final war council with our dear couple, with the participation of Pam, Gregory, Eric's undead posse and the shifty old fairies. See you, and remember to leave a _review_! Also, pitch in your ideas regarding the coming battle, and what you guys have in mind as the perfect punishment for douchebag Bill!


	15. Chapter 15

A/N Just sending out my thanks to all the reviewers of the last chapter. Anyway, this will contain Eric's vamp posse (including the lovingly snarky Pam) as well as Niall of course. We will be seeing our favorite Viking as Sookie's trainer and I decided to have the battle in _this_ chapter. Instead of the invasion, Russell is so making an appearance on the Viking's turf, and it looks like the King of Mississippi was busier than everyone thought. Also, Niall gets a rather rude awakening from our dear old Sheriff, with one message in mind.

_You don't fucking mess with Eric Northman!_

That said, big thank you to the specific reviewers whose comments had something to do with this chapter. First off, the _Longest Review Award _goes to _bannerdawn, _for being so amazingly detailed. Also, a shoutout goes to _everyone who sent ideas in, _for assisting me with inspiration for how douchebag Bill will meet his true death. As for encouragement and making me laugh, the awards go to _erin1705 _and _desireecarbenell_, respectively. Lastly, thank you to _Rossi's Lil Devil _for ideas with Sookie's training!

Chapter 15

The first sensations Sookie felt were wetness and the movement of lips against her skin. Though awake, the telepath kept her eyes closed to savor the delicious tremors wracking her body due to her Viking's attentions. Before long though, she could hear the velvet baritone of Eric's voice wafting into her ears.

'Wake, my lover. I have something to ask of you, and we should be down with Niall too.'

_I so wasn't expecting that, _Sookie thought.

Finally, Sookie opened her eyes to see her Norse vampire gazing down at her. Contrary to the usually lecherous and lusty looks he gave her, the Viking actually looked shocked and curious.

'What is it?'

'Lover, why am I awake?' Eric asked immediately.

'What do you mean? It must be nighttime, right?' Sookie answered groggily, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

'No it is not. Look.' he said, pointing to the bedside clock which read 3:40.

'Well damn. I think we really _do_ have to go down to Niall. Give me a minute, I'll be right with you. You go ahead,' Sookie admitted, before stretching her limbs and standing up with a yawn.

By the time Sookie ambled down the stairs in a blue cotton tee and shorts, Eric was already waiting for her in the dining room. He was making little gestures with his hand while talking to her great grandfather. She sat down beside Eric and took a croissant from the tray in front of her.

'Good afternoon child. I believe your Viking is undergoing some interesting developments,' Niall said, holding a glass of what looked to be grape juice.

'Yes, interesting doesn't quite cover it. I am very old and I do wake up earlier than younger vampires, but three-forty in the afternoon is _unheard_ of,' the Norseman explained, clasping Sookie's hand protectively.

'Yup. He's never woken up this early, and I don't make a habit of waking up this late. I mean, yesterday, I woke up at one in the afternoon for God's sake!' Sookie added.

The Prince took a sip of his juice and leaned back in his chair with a contemplative look.

_Hmm. It seems the bond wants them to have a more congruent sense of time. Sookie is resting for longer times in the day like a vampire. On the other hand, Northman seems to be acquiring the ability to be up in the day like Sookie can, _Niall thought.

After about ten seconds of silence, he finally spoke.

'I believe this is because of your bond. I think that due to the magic inherent in you both, you are merely connecting more on a physical level. My dear Sookie, your resting patterns more closely resemble Eric's own habits. As for you Eric, your waking time is growing earlier because Sookie is naturally up in the day. It's all a matter of connection,' the Prince explained.

_Being up earlier certainly has its benefits, but no one else can know of this. If anyone else knew that bonding to a fairy might potentially cause vampires to be up in the day, I imagine the Fae will be severely decimated, _Eric thought cautiously.

'So, I am to understand that because Sookie can be up in the day, I will begin to be up before sunset? This concerns me, Niall. I may burn all of a sudden, or have the bleeds,' Eric said.

'Is this what has occurred?' the Prince asked.

'Admittedly no. Sookie's bedroom has light-tight shutters, so it wasn't really a problem when I got up. And I don't feel any pain right now.'

'I'll say. It passed my mind, but look at your arm sweetie!' Sookie said, pointing to the shafts of sunlight dancing on her vampire's skin, with no adverse effects.

As soon as he himself saw the spectacle, a small grin grew onto the Viking's face. However, he still stopped himself from being too hopeful or overjoyed. Niall on the other hand, looked positively ecstatic at the new circumstances.

'It doesn't hurt at all. Still, I plan to be cautious. What if this is temporary? I would very much like to continue this conversation in the safety of your bedroom, Sookie. Niall, is this agreeable?' Eric said, looking at the two other participants of their conversation.

_I'd prefer to be safe, rather than finally dead, thank you very much!_

'My son, this is a good skill to have. We must test this!' the Prince said, adamant.

_Fuck testing this. You stupid fairy, always so given over to experimentation. Excuse me, but I am not inclined to gamble with my thousand years! I did not reach this age without some careful effort, you enthusiastic fuck. And you called me your son again!_

Understandably, Eric was unhappy at the Prince's plan. Sookie was cautious and trying to soothe her vampire, but Niall was undeterred.

He stood and walked to Calixto and Alvar, who were standing in the living room and practicing their sword skills with mock slashes and thrusts.

'You two will cloak the outside. Let no one see what we are about to try in the front yard. And harvest the sunlight, at least partially,' he commanded, the order immediately followed by the two Fae warriors.

'What do you mean, _harvest?_' Sookie asked.

'Ah yes. We are Sky Fae, my dear child. As such, we have control over the heavens and the winds. _Harvesting_ is merely tapping into the power of the sunlight, such that you weaken its influence by transferring some of its power to yourself,' Niall explained.

'And what will this serve, Prince?' the Viking said, his eyes fixed on his bonded's fairy great grandfather.

'By lessening the sunlight, you will be safer. If this is in fact temporary, though I don't think it is, you will only feel a tiny sizzle if things do go downhill. Anyway, it is rather late in the afternoon. I believe this will be perfectly safe!' Niall said, already very enthusiastic.

'I want your word that Eric will not be harmed, Grandpa Niall. If you so much as harm him with this little test run, I'll kill you myself. I don't know how, but I will sure as hell fucking do it,' Sookie said threateningly.

'You have my word. We will do everything to keep your Viking safe, my dear child. His death would make you very unhappy, and I do not wish for your unhappiness in any way,' Niall said.

_My God, if Eric gets hurt, I won't care if you have more than 2900 years on me or something. I really will see to your death, _Sookie thought, looking at the Prince.

'Come now, my children. We have possibilities and hidden potentials to discover!' Niall said with a happy clap of his hands, before leading the two to the front door.

'Wait!' Eric said, before he gave the telepath a long kiss in front of the Prince, as if he wanted to assure himself somehow.

For his part, Niall only gave a sad sigh, before he opened the door and made a _go on _gesture.

Sookie held on to Eric's hand for all of three seconds, before she let go and watched him step out into the sunlight. Agitated, she gripped Niall's arm and catalogued Eric's every movement with a worried look, seeing him walk a few steps around the lawn.

It was like Fangtasia all over again.

As for the Viking himself, the welcome sensation of the sunlight on his skin brought tears to his thousand-year old eyes. Even his adventure in the swamp, high on fairy blood, did not compare to this exact moment. To him, this moment was different. This point in time, so singular in its beauty and reverie, was a point in time like no other.

The darkening sky, the gentle rays of fading sunlight, and the scent of his bonded only served to heighten the entire experience.

_This is unbelievable. One thousand years without the sun, and finally I am standing here bathed in its warm light. One thousand years of nothing but the dark, erased in a magnificent instant because of Sookie's abilities. Gods, thank you for blessing me with her. I will always be grateful._

The warmth brought a rush of joy to his heart, before he turned around and his eyes fell on Sookie herself. The feeling he suddenly felt was indescribable. Adoration? No, that didn't cut it. To the Viking, there were no words to verbalize what was before him, and the sight nearly brought him to his knees.

'Eric, are you okay?' Sookie asked as she walked over to her vampire, who nodded before cupping her face in his hands and speaking in a strained voice.

'You are so _very_ beautiful in the sunlight, my love. You look more beautiful than the goddess Freya herself and no one will _ever_ compare to you. I love you so,' he said reverently as he embraced her. The tears he had been shedding fell onto Sookie's shoulders, and she welcomed them.

'I love you too, my handsome Viking,' she whispered, tears also escaping her eyes at how utterly perfect he looked in the sunlight.

Calixto and Alvar, looking from a distance, were caught up in the surreal perfection of the moment happening between their mistress and her vampire. Even the Prince, normally serious and only light-hearted with his family, had an ethereal smile on his face.

_We will win the war, and I think I know why. I know we will win because those two will never give each other up, and such a passionate love will not allow even Edgington to stand in its way, _Niall thought, his arms crossed as he observed his great granddaughter with her vampire.

Letting a few long minutes pass and not wishing to intrude, Niall stood quietly with Sookie's Fae guards. Understanding that there were preparations to be made though, the Prince eventually walked to the pair and cleared his throat to stop them from their leisurely kissing.

'Shall we train?' he asked lowly.

'Yeah, guess we should,' Sookie said disappointingly, pulling away from Eric.

'Oh, but you will like this training exercise, my dear. The Viking will train you!' Niall said, smiling indulgently at his telepathic descendant.

'I will?' Eric said suddenly, quite shocked.

'Yes you will, my son. While Sookie is in control of her powers, hand to hand combat is still a distinct possibility. Who better to train her in the art of a sword than the famed Norseman himself?' the Prince explained.

_He called me his fucking son again! Something's up with this fucking fairy, but I do like the way he thinks of my reputation. Damn straight, I really am famous, _Eric's mind dictated.

'But I'll get killed! Uh, I like the concept, but I'll be a piece of shit against Eric!' Sookie yelled suddenly, looking at her vampire with slightly fearful eyes.

'It will be perfectly simple, my dear. The basic moves and defensive positions, footwork, etcetera. And I'm sure the Norseman is smart enough not to kill you, isn't that right, Eric?' he said with a cold look leveled on the Viking. The look was clear in its message.

_If you kill her, I will torture you until you beg for your own death._

'And now, bring out that gleaming new sword of yours, Northman! Sookie, conjure one for yourself, my child. Then, I will watch over you both, until it is time for us to depart to Fangtasia,' the Prince instructed.

As told, Eric retrieved his new favorite sword, while Sookie conjured one for herself made of exactly the same metal. However, it was lighter and more suited to her petite frame. Sookie was thinking of serious lessons, filled with technical terms and jargon, but obviously the Viking had a different method in mind.

'So, you gonna start teaching me how to parry and thrust, or what not?' Sookie asked.

'Oh no. I will be teaching you differently, my love. We will dance, and by the end, you will be a glorious warrior. My own lovely Valkyrie!' Eric said with a wink, which sent his fairy's thoughts into dirty territory.

_How will I focus with him reminding me of that? The last time he asked me to be his Valkyrie, I was naked and riding him. Oh my God. Sookie Stackhouse, you get yourself together!_

'Whatever. Let's just do this.' Sookie said timidly, raising her sword. However, since it was the first time she'd held a sword, the positioning was rather awkward.

'Every battle is a dance of violence, lover. Now, the beauty of every dance is in the elegance when it is begun. Straighten your posture, and hold your weapon straight. Be a worthy partner to your old Viking,' he said, rather seductive and provoking in his tone.

Doing as Eric asked, Sookie straightened and tried to be elegant in her stance. The Norseman clinked his sword with hers in approval, before he spoke again.

'Look at me. I don't want to see you looking down even once. Keep your gaze steady, and try to anticipate how I will move, such that our dance will be a magnificent one. Now, dance with me,' the Viking commanded, before he lunged with restrained force.

Sookie took a step forward and countered, but Eric won out by heightening his next strike and hitting near the tip, which sent her reeling.

_He really is unorthodox in so many ways. Even training to him is done differently, _Niall mused.

'Balance is key. I can also sense the tightness in your arms, so you should relax them fully. Keep your muscles loose, since tightness impedes movement, and a dance is _all_ about motion. Again, my love,' he instructed, striking four times, all of which Sookie blocked by keeping his instructions in mind.

_This is a dance. This is a dance. Keep your focus, you can do this! Be a worthy partner, _she dictated to herself mentally. Apparently it was working, since she was slowly showing signs of improvement in her stances and strikes.

'This is tiring though,' she said after a while, taking voracious gulps of air into her lungs, a bit wobbly on her feet due to the exertion. Small beads of sweat were breaking out over her skin, which was flushed with a delicious tinge of red.

'Breathing is an integral part of any good dance. You must learn to pace and direct the flow of oxygen, so remember to breathe deeply as you move,' Eric said.

'Think of this like your exercises in centering, my child. Breathing in combat is as important as focused breath when practicing magic,' Niall added, before the Viking struck again.

Eric was combining vertical and horizontal slashes, as well as some forward thrusts. Each move was oriented towards teaching the telepath effective defense. After some time, he moved to teaching offense, satisfied that his bonded now knew how to defend herself.

'Take this you big lug!' Sookie said, striking a two-move combination while blocking Eric's counter attacks. For a while she became confident, before the Norse swordsman hit the top of her sword in a downward slash, which sent her stumbling forward.

'Overconfidence can be fatal, dearest. The complacent warrior is often the one who gets killed,' he admonished, his vampire face catching an overcast ray of sunlight. Try as she might to keep her desire for him in check, the sun and his face conspired to throw her out of whack.

_Damn, he is so very handsome in the sunlight, _Sookie thought, before she was startled by the painful nudge she received on her waist, courtesy of Eric's sword.

'Oww! That hurt, mind you!' Sookie said.

'Lover, stop being distracted. Distraction makes a dance look sloppy, and it gets you killed in battle. Give your opponent the honor of your focus!' he commanded, executing another series of moves which Sookie tried to block with mixed success.

Eventually, the telepath herself was definitely on the offense, and her moves grew more graceful and poised. Niall noted this development and made sure to point it out.

'Very good form, my lovely Sookie. Your poise indicates belief in your growing abilities, and I am pleased to see you grow more confident in yourself!' the Prince said with a warm smile as he watched the pair duel on. It was a sight to behold, and it was also a conundrum.

At a very base level, Niall saw it as a fight between his fairy kin and a vampire. Also on that base level, he wanted to protect his kin and therefore, _kill_ the vampire. However, in terms of higher order thinking, Niall was arriving at a new revelation. It was a simple one.

_By the Gods, he really loves her, and she loves him as well, _the Prince thought, oblivious in his thoughts for a while before he returned to observation.

Eventually, taking to heart her vampire's lessons, Sookie managed to improve as time passed. By the end of their two and a half hour training session, the telepath had learned a number of useful maneuvers, which pleased Eric and the Prince to no end.

_She has grown into such a lovely warrior, _Niall thought, straightening his robes with a smile.

Even he had pitched in where he could, teaching her about letting the weapon do the work and how to charge the sword with her magic.

Understandably, the Viking and Niall were both proud of what their dear telepath had accomplished. Eric _finally_ laid his weapon down on the lawn and gave Sookie an indulgent smile as he walked over to her.

'You were a very good student, lover. I'm very pleased with your progress, but we are not done yet,' Eric said, giving her a gentle kiss on the forehead before pulling her into the house and making her sit on the armchair.

Still outside, Niall sent Eric's sword floating into the house with a flick of his wrist. After this, he launched into a mock fight with the two guards teamed against him. The heavy weapon landed on the rug with a thud, which the pair paid no mind to.

'What now, oh mighty Viking?' Sookie asked, curiosity etched on her features.

'I will teach you self control, as this is a key skill to any warrior. Now close your eyes and do not cry out,' Eric instructed, as he knelt and began to kiss the underside of her breasts while gripping her sides in his hands.

'Eric…' Sookie sighed out, as her hands dug into the plush armchair in an effort not to moan.

'Shh, lover. Do you want Niall to hear you?' he asked in a low voice, his hands stroking her legs as he moved up to kiss the side of her neck with his fangs down.

_How will I fucking keep from crying out when I'm being silently pillaged by a thousand-year old Viking vampire? Lord, please. Please help me, _Sookie thought.

Eric's hands made their way under her shirt, eventually massaging her breasts as he kissed her lips passionately to drown out her sounds of pleasure. Sookie's hands held on to the sides of the chair in an effort to keep control, but the moment Eric's hands landed on the middle of her shorts, she knew it was a losing battle.

'Oh, you were so very tempting as you held that sword. Do you like the way I touch you, Sookie? How I make you shiver in need? Tell me, my lover,' he said, whispering in her ear as his hands continued their assault.

'Oh God, yes I do Eric!' she said rather loudly, which made the Viking kiss her again to quiet her down.

'Did I not command you to stay silent? Obey your _master_, sweetling,' he cooed seductively in her ear, still rubbing her through the fabric of her shorts as his lips busied themselves by latching on to her breasts through the thin cotton of her tee.

Sookie did grow silent, but her silence was filled with mental agony at his expert touches.

_Think of non-sexual things, Stackhouse. Niall's grape juice. Pancakes. Dermot's vegetable omelet and croissants. Oh God, what is he doing with his hands? No. No, focus! Think of innocent things! Rainbows, gentle rain, wild berries. Strawberries and the cream from last night on my…no! I will not succumb to his skills. I will not…oh! God, fuck resisting this. He's too good._

'Mmm. Why don't you let me relieve your ache, lover? I would be glad to do that for you,' he said after a while, unbuttoning her shorts and pulling them off of her before he looked up at his fairy and spoke again.

'You know what I want to hear, Sookie. Tell me what I want to hear before I make you writhe in this chair,' he said against her inner thigh. His cold breath washed over her skin, leaving it shivering and _not _because of the temperature.

'I'm yours Eric, and I love you,' Sookie soon said, breathy in her anticipation. Her skin was more flushed than ever, her heartbeat somewhat erratic. To the Viking, it was a cacophony of sight and sound which he would've happily drowned in until his final death.

Tugging down her underwear, he took one last look at his lover, committing her features in that moment to his perfect vampire memory.

'Don't cry out, my sweet fairy. Remember, you need self-control,' he said seductively, before he sank down and took a long, preparatory lick of her dripping core, before he took to his task enthusiastically.

_Don't cry out? How on God's green Earth will I not cry out when you're licking me down there and it feels so good? Damn it, Eric!_

'Eric, please!' she said in a strangled voice, her nails already gouging furrows into the plush stuffing of the armchair she was seated in. Her eyes were closed, her breathing impossibly shallow.

'Shall I stop?' he asked, looking upwards again with pure need on his face. 'I know you don't want me to stop, my lover, so what do you want?' His brow had shot up, challenging her to be vocal with her desires. Sookie was on the cusp of responding, but someone else did.

'What I want, Viking, is for you to get off Sookie, get her dressed again and to stop for now,' Niall said, shaking his head.

_Okay, that's it. You've interrupted one time too many. I'll kill you, you cockblocking bastard! _

Eric was mentally yelling, and doing it over and over again to boot.

'Why must you always fucking interfere? Do you have nothing better to do, you old shit?' Eric asked, his blue eyes a mix of irritation, confusion and the desire to confront. His fangs were down, and his body was tense.

'Eric, please stop,' Sookie pleaded suddenly, all the while dressing herself again and trying to get composed despite the nature of the whole situation. As such, the attempt to be composed wasn't really working. Everything her mind came back to could be summed in one sentence.

_Oh my fucking God, my great grandfather caught me and Eric, doing THAT of all things. _

The thought made her cringe.

'Believe me, I have nothing against what you both are doing, but it grows late and I have some things to share with you both,' the Prince said after a breath, his tone calm and unfazed.

And while he said he didn't mind at all, the distaste and the urge to retch were back, making him sigh in dejection. Powerless, he watched the Viking sit down in the armchair again. This time, Eric set Sookie on his lap as he loved to do, with his hands lazily stroking the heated skin of her thighs. Add in the nuzzling and nipping, and Niall was practically _exploding_ on the inside.

Regardless, the Prince put his poker face on as he spoke.

'Viking. You remember your place in the plan? I trust you are capable of knowing your task?'

'I am not a child. I know what I must do, Niall. What I must ask, is what are you willing to risk? Me? I am risking everything. The security of my tenure as Sheriff and even the comfort of my relatively simple political position. All these I am willing to sacrifice, while _you_ will orchestrate from a distance, safe and warm. Because that's how you are, isn't it? You claim love for your kin and your people, and yet you are nothing if not the most dedicated, self-serving survivalist. You would _never _risk yourself. You fucking coward!' Eric ended finally, an utterly disdainful look on his immaculately handsome face.

_Ah, shit. This is not good, _Sookie thought, cautiously silent as she burrowed herself closer to her vampire, clearly in an effort to keep him calm.

'What am I willing to risk? I am risking my own security as Prince and my life itself, you heartless idiot! Do you not know how many in our realm are against my involvement in the affairs of this plane? And yet I am here personally, having sent my own guards as well for Sookie's sake. I continue to put up with your _misplaced_ arrogance, even with the knowledge that I can end you so easily! For your sake, Viking, do not accuse me so crudely again or you will regret it,' Niall warned, feeling his teeth elongate a bit in his closed mouth, as with all Fae who felt extremely threatened. Even his inhuman attractiveness had taken on a dark layer which was fearful to behold.

'You dare threaten me in my own Area? You hold no power here!' Eric said, sword already at the ready, fangs fully down.

'Oh I think you'll find that I have very _real_ power, Norseman,' Niall scoffed before he continued. 'Would you like to find out?'

'Stop,' Sookie said solemnly, tears already at the corner of her eyes as she stood and continued with a huff.

'How dare you _both_ talk like I'm not here. You will _not_ kill each other, and you most certainly will stop all your stupid posturing! Grandpa Niall, please _stop_ it. You should have just let his comment pass. As for _you,_ Eric Northman, you shouldn't have said something like that!' Sookie admonished, looking at both men.

'I have a right to go against your _fucking _Viking, bonded though you are. Also, in addition to being your kinsman, I am the Prince of the Fae! I am your sovereign and you have no right to stop me in these matters! He has belittled me far too much, and I will not let his words stand!' Niall yelled, staring straight at Sookie. She was shocked.

_Oh god. He's cursing now, which can only mean bad things. Whatever, fuck him. Sovereign my ass! _

The telepath was half-scared, half-pissed.

'You will not disrespect her that way, you fucking bastard! Take back your words, or I will skewer you where you stand!' Eric roared out, raising the point of his sword to Niall's exposed neck and already ready to push it in.

'I said stop, Eric! And Grandpa, okay, you win. You're the Prince. Guess who I am? I'm Sookie Stackhouse, and I _fucking_ hate you right now! Fuck you, Mr. I'm Your Sovereign!' Sookie shouted at both of them, before she popped out of sight. The moment this happened, all the Viking could see was red.

'You fucking…' Eric growled out, before he charged at Niall at a speed so blinding that even the Prince didn't expect it. Niall fell to the ground in shock, which allowed the Viking to sink his fangs savagely into the fairy's neck. He drank for a full 45 seconds, before he withdrew his fangs with a supreme effort and looked down at the weakened Prince with a bloody smile. Niall was pale, Eric having nearly drained all of his blood.

'I have decided to let you live, Niall Brigant. I am letting you live so that you'll _forever _remember how your age didn't matter in this moment. Because, in this moment, I conquered you and you weren't able to stop me. You were not the Prince. Rather, you were nothing but a defenseless, _quivering_ little child. And you, you are pathetic!' Eric shouted, spitting out a few of the remaining drops of blood in his mouth in spite before he spoke again.

'My decision to spare you is a testament to my incomparable control. Now, if you want to prevent me from reconsidering, you will shut up while I go to her, or I will drain every last _drop_ of blood from your body!' the Norse vampire said in rage, his tall frame towering over the bleeding Prince sprawled out on the floor. For good measure, Eric placed his boot over Niall's throat and bore down on it with his weight. Despite how tempted he was to kill the Fairy Prince, Eric restrained himself and made sure to put in only a slight portion of his strength.

Observing from a distance, Calixto and Alvar were fearful. All their lives they had never seen the Prince so savagely subdued, and they worried for their own existence.

_If one such as the Prince can be humiliated as such by the Viking, then everyone is a target. I must be very cautious, _Calixto thought, meekly approaching Eric.

'Sheriff Northman, perhaps it would be prudent to find Lady Sookie now?'

'There will be no finding necessary,' a female voice said from the doorway. It was Sookie herself, and her eyes were horrified. She had spent some time outside the house composing herself, only to come back to the sight in front of her. She had even decided to let Niall's statement go, but now she wasn't even sure if he was still alive.

Walking to Eric, Sookie shuddered but decided to steel herself in evaluation of the circumstances.

'No, he is _not_ dead. I am answering, before you even ask,' Eric said, wiping blood from his mouth with the back of his hand.

'How did you stop?' Sookie asked, remembering how he had been unable to do so with Claudine. At that time, he'd sucked out every last smidgen of her blood.

'I put all my willpower into stopping. I have always had strong control as a vampire, Sookie. I am actually famous for it within the circles of my kind. With Claudine, I made no conscious effort and I was operating on instinct, amnesiac as I was. With your _fucking _great grandfather, I stopped because I wanted him to live. I wanted him to live, remembering that he was nearly killed by me,' and here he smiled, 'and that now he lives only because _I_ choose to let him,' Eric said, very smug.

'It must've been hard for you, but I'm glad you did that,' Sookie enthused, hugging Eric to soothe his raging temper before she went to see just how much Niall had been injured.

'Oh he can't talk right now,' the Viking said casually.

'My God, Eric. You crushed his throat!' Sookie said, looking at the mangled remains of her great grandfather's throat, also noting the large pool of blood surrounding that specific area.

_Magnificent, you just restated the obvious, my love, _Eric thought.

'He deserved it, for what he said to you,' he said, shrugging carelessly. 'Anyway, we must get to Fangtasia. I have set the meeting for seven this evening, and it's already six, I think. We have to go now!' he said.

'But we can't just leave him here!'

'We _can_, and we _will_. One of your fairy guards can protect him in his weakened state since I'm afraid I took nearly all of his blood. Pick whoever will come with us to the club,' Eric instructed, his voice having taken on a slightly callous, impatient tone.

'Alvar, you stay with the Prince and make sure nothing happens to him while we're gone. But don't let him out of here, you understand?' Sookie said, looking at the black-haired warrior.

'But what if he…' Alvar began, before he was silenced by Eric's glare. Said glare was accompanied by a feral snarl and a show of fang.

'You will _not_ let him out and that is the end of this matter. If I find even a hint of his hide or yours at my bar, I will kill you both. I trust you understood my instructions?' the Viking said, his threat direct and very real indeed.

'Yes, Sheriff Northman,' Alvar said in assent.

'Calixto, will you come with us?' the telepath said, trying to break the mounting tension.

'Of course, my lady,' he said with a bow, fastening his sword more securely at his side in preparation for leaving.

'Can you pop us?' the Viking asked nonchalantly, looking at the startled Fae guard who nodded in acquiescence.

Eric dispensed with a verbal response, and merely held Sookie's hand as he waited. Wasting no time, Calixto took both the couple's hands and summoned his magic. A moment later, both of them were standing on the main floor of Fangtasia.

'Sheriff, I sense something outside,' Calixto said suddenly, his tone cautious as he drew his sword. He also heard a rather muted chuckle, but chose to ascribe it to the crowds so he pushed the thought aside.

'I don't think so. I had Pam inform our human visitors that the bar was closed for a function, so I don't think anyone is outside. Everyone I've requested is in here,' Eric said dismissively.

'Hey, what if there is something out there?' Sookie said, looking at her vampire fearfully.

'Then I will protect you, lover. Now come,' Eric said, before he was intercepted by Alcide, who immediately greeted Sookie.

'Hello, Sookie. Nice to see you,' he said, giving her a smile.

'Hey Alcide,' she said, returning his smile. She tried to hug him, but was stopped by Eric.

'Do not touch him, lover. We are bonded, please do not sully our connection,' he explained, baring his fangs at Herveaux. Sookie complied, noting the tones of disapproval which ran through their bond. Instead, she settled for asking the new Shreveport packmaster a question.

'You here alone?'

'No, I brought some of my boys with me. This a real large thing, and we might be affected so we're in to listen. Eric allowed us to be here, actually,' Alcide explained.

'You're okay with this? And what do you mean, by _your _boys? Are they your friends or something?' the telepath queried.

'Underlings, actually. I joined a pack, had a scuffle with the old boss and now I'm the new one. Long story, really,' he said.

'So…' Sookie began, before she was cut off by her bonded.

'Come lover, we have more pressing matters to attend to,' Eric said, clasping her hand and walking off, nodding to the vampires who were greeting him as he moved in the direction of Gregory, who was talking animatedly with Anton.

Looking around as he walked with Sookie, Eric smiled at the fact that his orders had been followed to the letter. The bar was devoid of any of its regular human patrons, just as he'd instructed. The only occupants were glamoured donors and some staff, Alcide and his Weres, as well as Eric's underlings and other vampires. Dr. Ludwig was also in attendance, bearing her ever-present scowl as she prepared various herbs and vials in a corner. Refreshments-wise, there were six huge bowls of blood set out on the tables, along with some food and liquor being served by the wait staff.

Seeing them walking towards him, Gregory lit up and intercepted Eric.

'You are more bloody than usual. What have you been up to, _mio fratello?_' he queried.

'I bit the Fairy Prince and nearly drained him in my rage. As a result, he will not be coming,' Eric answered loudly, earning the approval of the vampires in the bar, who began to whisper words of admiration amongst themselves.

'You _bit_ that prissy fucking idiot?' Pam suddenly added, appearing beside Gregory.

'I did, yes. Then I crushed his throat under my boot,' Eric said, smirking.

'Hey now, he's still my great grandfather!' Sookie said defensively, glaring a bit at Pam.

'Don't care. He was still a prissy _fucking_ idiot. I love what you did, Master,' Pam said snarkily, flashing back to the spare bar stool she had been occupying and winking at Eric. Happy at his conquest, Eric winked back while Sookie just shook her head.

_Why would I expect anything else from those two anyway? _Sookie mused, waiting for what Eric planned to do next.

Soon enough, he stood regally in the middle of the bar with her, addressing the crowd of Area Five vampires first. All of them looked at him with loyalty and respect in their eyes, their stances quite stern as they waited for their Sheriff to speak.

'You have been called here for a purpose. As residents of my Area, I have tried to keep you all safe and prosperous, being fair and just in my verdicts. In return, I have asked for your fealty and obedience to me as Sheriff. At this very moment, I am under threat from Russell Edgington and I have been tasked to kill him. Many of you were witnesses to the Pythoness as she attested to this fact, and I ask your assistance in the battle against him tomorrow night. Will I be able to count on your aid?' he said, the speech concise but filled with sentiment.

_I feel like I'm back in the Viking Age. Eric looks so much like a king making a speech to his subjects, _Sookie thought, smiling proudly as she clutched his arm.

Looking around, she saw Pam, Gregory, Anton and Calliope all bearing proud smiles.

In response, the Area vampires knelt with their heads bowed until Eric told them to stand again. Still wearing his stern _don't fuck with me _look, he turned this time to speak to the mercenaries he had been sent.

'You all owe me no fealty, and you have been sent here by your monarchs. Regardless, I ask for your loyalty just as I asked the residents of my own Area. I also inform you that if you renege on your pledge, I will personally send all seventy of you to your final deaths. Who is your representative?' the Viking bellowed out, scanning the crowd.

After a second, a rather gray-haired vampire stepped forward and nodded respectfully.

'I am Philippe, Sheriff. I was tasked by all three monarchs to command this group and to obey you without question. We will be loyal. The monarchs hold you in great esteem, and we all know of your exploits. No one would dare stand against you, most especially not us,' he said in assurance.

Eric nodded, and turned to address everyone.

'Before I let you all enjoy the refreshments that have been prepared here, I wish to remind you all of one fact. The lady beside me is Sookie Stackhouse, great granddaughter to Prince Niall Brigant _and_ my bonded. You will all protect her as you protect me. If that is understood, please stay and wait until I dismiss you. There is also the matter of Compton,' he said, smiling with his fangs down for effect.

Every vampire nodded, or bowed slightly to indicate their assent. Having done so, most of the vampires milled around, grabbing goblets or selecting donors to feed from discreetly.

Satisfied, Eric walked to his private booth with Sookie in tow and signaled to his progeny. Before five seconds could pass, Gregory, Anton, Calliope and Pam were already seated in the booth as well, while Calixto stood a slight distance away.

'Let us begin our council,' Gregory began, 'and let me first update you Eric, on the plans which I have been making with dear Pamela. She and I have agreed that the vampires of this Area will serve to overrun the guards surrounding Edgington's residence. She has the specific details. Pamela, tell your master,' Gregory said finally.

'Go on Pam,' Eric said, looking at his child.

'Once the overrun-the-residence part is done, the next load of shit we need to deal with is killing Russell himself. So, we'll have the mercenaries as a precaution. Their first responsibility is to back you up, Master. Gregory and Anton will go with you personally, while I will coordinate with Philippe to watch your back,' she said, obviously proud of herself. Unable to resist, Eric rose from his seat and gave Pam a kiss on the forehead, stroking her cheek tenderly as he sat down again.

'Well done, Pam. I'm very proud,' he said.

'Thank you. Calliope will be the one to explain the general strategy for the Area vampires once they've done their bit,' she said, still smirking. Pam turned to Calliope.

'As Gregory has pointed out, the Area vampires will overrun the guards. Once they have succeeded, I will guide them to your location, Eric. Once there, we will serve as a secondary layer of protection, and added back-up to the mercenaries. I will be the one coordinating them,' she explained, ending with a refined nod of her head.

Noting the excellent strategy that had been thought up, Eric was filled with a greater sense of confidence than before and bore a smile on his face. However, before he could fully appreciate the sensation, Calixto spoke up suddenly.

'I will come as well, Sheriff Northman,' he said simply.

'Travesty! We need no fairy interfering in our affairs!' Anton said in response. Feeling indirectly slighted, Sookie zapped Anton discreetly and caused him to let out a yelp of pain.

'You have a fairy right here. And for your information, Calixto happens to be very useful and he's good with a sword!' Sookie said indignantly, looking to the Viking for back-up.

'Sookie is right. He is sworn to her protection, and has a great deal of power. I will let your comment pass, but I will never hear of something similar again, will I?' Eric said, glaring at his French friend. Wisely, Anton kept his mouth shut and instead nodded demurely.

'What of Sookie, my brother? I would not like to see her get hurt, and I myself have grown attached to you, my sweet Southern Belle,' the Italian immortal said finally, his eyes now resting on Sookie, who smiled at him.

'I can go with you, right Eric?' the telepath asked, looking at her bonded.

'I would actually prefer you stay safe somewhere far from the battle itself, my lover,' the Viking said, holding both her hands in his.

'And this time you should really listen to him, for crying out loud. Remember Moon Goddess? That was a _major_ fuck-up, and I for one don't wanna see this coup end up as a movie entitled Moon Goddess : The Sequel,' Pam said.

'Pam,' Eric said curtly.

'Don't be put out with her, Eric. Pam, I understand where you're comin' from, but I cannot just sit back and wait for the results like this is some damned betting game,' Sookie explained, linking her arms with the Norse vampire.

'I concur with Sheriff Northman, my lady. The Prince would like you to remain as safe as possible, far away from the carnage that is sure to take place tomorrow night. We all have your best interest in mind,' Calixto said, pitching in suddenly.

_God, what is this, the Middle Ages? Obviously vampires are not quite into the idea of an independent woman, _Sookie thought sadly.

'I don't recall all of you being the ones to decide things for me. You think I'm gonna sit back and eat popcorn, maybe eat a ton of ice cream while I wait to see if all of you survived? If you think I'll do that then you obviously don't know me at all,' the telepath said, leveling her stare on everyone in the booth.

'Sookie, please,' Eric said, trying to assuage his bonded.

'Don't you _Sookie-please _me, Viking. I am not gonna stay cooped up like some useless human! What was the point of all my training then?' she said, her anger already spiking upwards.

'Ms. Stackhouse, no one says you are useless. _S'il vous plait_, listen to your bonded,' Anton added, his accent thick as he tried to reason with his friend's woman.

'My lover, maybe we should resolve this in my office. This is not the place for our arguments,' Eric said, looking at Sookie with a _let's just go talk this out between the two of us _look.

'Fine,' Sookie conceded, following Eric to his office. Once inside, he locked the door and sat down with her on the sofa, placing a brief kiss on her lips before speaking.

'Sookie, I am not belittling you or your abilities. I only wish to keep you safe, which is why I want you to stay away. Your abilities can be used another time,' he said, holding her hand.

'Oh yeah? Like…' she began, before Eric pulled her flat down to the ground, shielding the two of them from the shrapnel of the office door falling down.

'Shit! Eric, are you hurt?' Sookie asked, hugely worried.

'No, I'm fine. Goddamned motherfuckers. I want you to stay down, Sookie! And if you care for me at all, stay here,' he commanded, quickly retrieving a sword from a hidden panel on the wall before heading out into the main bar.

The entire place was a pandemonium, a muddle of sight and sound punctuated by the occasional jet of blood streaking across the air as the body count continued to pile up.

While he was surveying his surroundings, an unarmed vampire charged him. However, as with the many fights he had been in before, Eric managed to kill his opponent swiftly and cleanly with a slice of his sword. Thus knowing his own safety was secured, the Viking continued to take stock of the situation.

Vampires were fighting in front of his eyes, the Weres fought in their animal form, and the bar appeared as if a huge bomb had hit it. Liquor bottles lay broken, their contents spilled out on the floor while the furniture was either in pieces or decimated to coarse powder.

The wait staff was panicking as they hid in the storeroom, and all of the donors were already dead. Of course, as with any battlefield, blood was everywhere. It was streaked across the walls, it coated the remaining furniture and it was either in puddles or oozing on the floor.

Before Eric could catalogue any more damage, a vampire tried to lunge at him with a sword. Recognizing that this was one of the guards he had encountered in Mississippi, he wasted no time in countering and slicing the vampire in half with his sword.

Back inside the office, Sookie was in full panic mode. She was about to hyperventilate, until her uncle's reminder to _focus_ floated back into her ear. She took a few deep breaths and closed her eyes like Dermot had taught her, thinking intensely about swords. Before long, about five dozen of them lay before her. The exertion had her winded, and she leaned against Eric's desk to regain some of her strength. She had never been more thankful that no one had tried to kill her while she was alone in her Viking's office.

Steeling her resolve and taking many long breaths, she tested out her powers again and eventually headed out into the bar, running straight to Eric and zapping everyone in her way, getting soaked with blood as she did so.

'Call them back to the office, there are swords there,' she said to him hurriedly, hitting a vampire square in the heart with her magic and watching him disintegrate in front of her. Eric quickly signaled every ally near him and pointed back to his office. Noting his signal, they all obeyed without question.

Sensing her fatigue through the bond, the Viking sent strength through the bond accompanied by a verbal reminder to breathe.

'Pace the flow of oxygen, lover,' he said, before he twisted and ran his sword straight through an opposing vampire. The resulting explosion of guts coated them both in more blood, as if they weren't bloody enough already.

'Where's Russell?' Sookie asked with a huff, her hands flailing as she hit two targets coming straight at her and Eric with their swords raised.

'Don't know. It's too chaotic. Keep your eyes out and try to find where the others are,' the Viking answered, before he suddenly bumped up against Gregory.

'Got your back again, _fratello,_' the Italian vampire said, all the while hacking at the vampires who were charging towards their group.

'Just like old times, eh?' Eric said, chuckling as he cut off his current opponent's head.

About 40 meters away, Pam was being assaulted by a burly Mississippi vampire, who was obviously succeeding in the attempt. Seeing Eric's progeny in such a predicament, Sookie immediately refocused her magic on aiding Pam.

'Pam, duck down!' Sookie yelled, already summoning her magic.

Pam did as she was told, right in time for Sookie to zap the vampire into a mess of blood with her powers. She gave Sookie a fangy smile in thanks, before flashing over to join her maker.

By now, Pam, Sookie, Eric and Gregory were proving to be a lethal combination. The two men with their swords, as well as Sookie and Pam with their bare hands, had already managed to eliminate the swath of vampires who chose to oppose them. The sight, if it could be described, was a glorious mess of exploding guts, blasts of light and the sound of vampires growling.

Eventually though, growing tired with using her powers, Sookie conjured a sword and began to use it. Eric risked a glance over at her, and smiled in triumph as she sliced into a red-haired female vampire who had tried to hurt her. Proud of her achievement, the Norseman sent his bonded a flood of more strength, now laced with a large tinge of admiration.

Meanwhile, Antony and Calliope were standing back to back, obviously employing the same team tactic which the Viking and his cohorts were using. As for the Area vampires and the mercenaries, they were just brawling with every enemy in sight, picking up swords whenever a stray one came along. Calixto was obviously doing the same, as he either cut through each vampire who charged him or blasted them with his powers.

Vampires had disintegrated everywhere, and there were a few dead Weres as well. More were dying with every passing second, while the bar continued to sustain massive damage. The clear thing however, was that Eric's forces were winning.

As if to assist in the coming of the end, Niall appeared near the door and walked in. The Prince had obviously prevailed on Alvar and had come to help, still slightly weak as he was. The ancient Fae ruler picked up a stray sword, and began to cut through any vampires who dared charge him, ruthless in his countenance.

Russell on the other hand, was already seeing the odds tip against his favor. He fought off a group of three Area Five vampires and was retreating to the door of the bar, until he smacked right into Niall.

'Fuckin' hell, get out of my way, you goddamn fairy!' Russell said with his fangs down.

'I don't think so, Edgington. Fight like a man, you coward!' Niall said, lunging forward with his sword.

Obviously the instinct to fight surged through the Mississippi king, since he countered and managed to slash the Prince's arm. Once the blood began to drip, Russell shot forward and tried to get a bite in. Niall prevented this by blasting Russell, who reeled to the ground. Before he could get up again, the Prince put the tip of his sword square over the middle of the king's neck, which made Russell go immobile.

'All of you stop! Mississippi vampires, stand down or I will kill your monarch, and all of you who remain as well!' he shouted.

His command yielded the desired effect, as the bar immediately grew silent. Eric immediately walked over to where Niall stood, with the Mississippi king completely unmoving on the ground. The remaining Area vampires all had their swords or bare hands aimed threateningly at the necks of the 15 left from Russell's 400-strong invasion force.

'Keep him down,' the Viking commanded. Still holding his sword, Eric addressed the motley crowd who stood before him.

'Vampires of Mississippi. I can assure you that you will not leave here alive, and that the same fate awaits Russell Edgington. Before your own deaths, you will witness his. Pam, get me a stake,' he commanded to his progeny. Pam complied, and soon Eric was kneeling in front of Russell with the stake pointed over his heart.

'Russell Edgington. For your murder of my human family, I sent Talbot to his final death. Now, for endangering me, those I care for and the safety of my Area, I will send you to your own!' the Viking said, before he plunged the stake in. The once proud Mississippi king was nothing more than a pile of goo on the floor. Eric stood and spit on the remains in a final act of hate.

The bar erupted into loud howls of victory and some applause, until the celebration was cut by the sound of Pam's voice.

'Come on, get with the program. We have some idiots to kill!' she said enthusiastically, waiting for Eric's approval.

'Go on, kill them. But leave one,' he said simply. Wasting no time, the Area vampires plunged their swords into their opponents, sliced them in half or ripped out their hearts with bare, bloody hands until only one was left. Eric walked over to the lone remainder of the Mississippi contingent who had come with Russell.

'Who gave you information that we would be gathered here?' the Viking asked.

'I will never tell you,' the vampire choked out, still held down on the shoulders by one of Eric's underlings.

Deciding that he had no time for prolonged interrogation, Eric decided on another tactic. He lunged forward and stuck his hand in the Mississippi vampire's chest, causing the younger immortal to wail in pain.

'Tell me, or I swear I will rip your heart out!' the Norse vampire threatened, fangs bared.

'I will, I will. Your king was supplying us information. He brokered a deal with Russell that he would not interfere if only Russell would kill you. He also paid us 20 million, a fourth of that as a gesture of apology for his hand in our king's incarceration in the concrete,' the vampire answered.

'How do you know all this?' the Norseman asked.

'I was one of his liaisons with your king. Now let me go, you said you would if I gave you information. I've told you everything I know!' the Mississippi loner said in reply.

'I changed my mind,' Eric said with a smirk, before pulling his hand out with the vampire's heart in tow. Soon enough, the vampire was nothing but a pile of remains.

As soon as this was all done, the victorious Louisiana vampires let out roars and growls to indicate their own happiness at the situation.

Eric watched on with a fanged smile, standing beside Sookie who had her arms wrapped around him and was breathing a sigh of relief.

'I am so glad this is over,' she said, giving her vampire a long kiss, to which he responded fervently. He began to run his hands over her sides, before Pam cut in with her usual remarks.

'Hey lovebirds! This shit ain't over yet, so you can wait until later to fuck each other like rabbits!' she said, obviously happy at having caused both of them massive frustration.

'Indeed, this is not over yet. My son, I believe a new ring needs to go onto your finger,' Niall said, his voice still hoarse from his throat's earlier rendezvous with Eric's boot, and sporting a few healing cuts. The Fairy Prince handed Russell's signet ring to Eric, who took it with a triumphant smirk on his face.

'Yes, I believe this will suit me very well,' the Viking said, before slipping the ring onto his middle finger on the left hand, making the metal stretch slightly because of his finger's larger girth. He shot Niall an understated look of gratefulness afterwards.

'Long live the King of Mississippi, eh, Master?' Pam said joyfully, nudging Eric's ribs.

'Oh I think I make a very good King. Isn't that right, my lover?' Eric asked, looking at Sookie.

'It's not so much being _good_, as being impossibly _good-looking_,' the telepath said with a smile, before kissing Eric again.

'Congratulations on your elevation to kingship, _mio fratello. _I am proud and all, but what about Compton?' Gregory said out of the blue, having appeared next to Niall.

'Niall. Fetch him, would you please?' Eric said, now wearing a _remember what I did to you earlier, because I can do it again if you disobey me _look. It was a fearful sight.

Indeed fearing for his life, the Prince nodded and popped away. Mere seconds passed in transit, before he was standing in the private study of the King of Louisiana. Upon his arrival, Bill's face went from startled to confused, and all the way to angry. Obviously the young vampire didn't really know who was standing in front of him.

'How dare you!' Bill spat out, his Southern drawl very apparent.

'I've come to fetch you, young idiot. You really have no idea who I am, do you?' Niall asked, his tone openly disdainful.

'I command you to state your name and your purpose!' Bill said, trying to make his voice sound authoritative. To Niall, he sounded like a child desperately trying to sound like an adult. It was laughable in its auditory stupidity.

'Very well. My name is Niall Brigant, Prince of the Fae. As I said, I have come to fetch you,' the Prince said simply.

'Fetch me on whose orders?'

'On the orders of the King of Mississippi, if you really must know,' Niall said, a sneer on his face as he looked at Bill.

'Russell Edgington is free?' Bill said, not really sounding too fearful, something which the Prince took note of, filing the information in his mind. Compton's tone corroborated the earlier admission which Eric had secured.

'Wrong tense, Compton. He _was _free. Then he launched an attack, and now he _is _very, very dead indeed. Now come. I have no further time for more of your inane questions,' Niall said.

Soon enough, he grabbed Bill's arm roughly and summoned his magic. A second later, the two arrived at Fangtasia, where everyone was already busy with cleaning up, while Dr. Ludwig was tending to the wounded.

Pam was using her vampire speed to zip around, picking up some of the larger pieces of debris while the other vampires milled around cleaning up the place as best they could. Even Gregory and Calliope were doing the same, while Anton waited to be treated by Dr. Ludwig for a nasty set of deep gashes in his left leg, which were healing quite slowly. As a result, the gashes continued to bleed profusely.

For his part, Calixto aimed wherever Pam told him to aim, making the debris and other assorted targets disappear. Pam's eyes had lit up, thinking of many things while she was cleaning with the fairy guard.

_Ooh, Eric is king and this means more shoes than ever. As for this hot fairy, he has possibilities. Maybe we could hire this one for cleaning purposes, plus he's easy on the eyes too, _she mused.

Eric on the other hand was seated next to Sookie, helping her recuperate by lazily showing her his affection as they rested. They sat in one of the few remaining booths that had survived the skirmish. As soon as Eric saw Bill however, he stood and began to walk towards him, leaving Sookie in the booth with a _stay here _gesture of his hand.

Seeing Eric's smirking face, Bill immediately stiffened and schooled his features into quite a poker face.

'What is the meaning of this?' the Louisiana king asked, squarely in lying mode.

'For a king who has arrived at the scene of an attack within _his _kingdom, you seem very unaffected. Are you not surprised?' Eric said in a cloying, saccharine voice.

'Of course I am,' Bill said stiffly.

'Save your lies, Compton. Do not dig yourself a deeper grave by being more mendacious than we already know,' Niall said.

'How dare…' Bill began to say, before Sookie jolted him with her powers. Apparently she had put a little more juice into that particular zap, as Compton ended up letting out a loud, pitiful wail of pain. It was quite a sorry little sound.

True to form, Niall and Eric merely smiled at his immense discomfort.

'I won't have you talking to my great grandfather that way, Bill Compton. I'm not as fucking weak as before, so you better watch the way you speak to him, and to Eric,' Sookie threatened, having stood from her place in the booth and walked over to her vampire.

'Grandpa, just punish him, please?' the telepath pleaded, not wanting to spend another second in Bill's presence. His continued proximity was just grating on her nerves, even though they weren't even speaking to each other.

'Gladly, my child. Bill, it's time for you to pay for hurting Sookie. Viking, do come join me,' the Prince said with a cold smile, roughly grabbing the Civil War vampire and dropping him onto the ground with massive force, making Bill's face connect with Fangtasia's bloody floor and thus breaking his nose. For good measure, the Prince stamped his foot down, breaking the coccyx bone in Bill's back. The Louisiana king groaned loudly in pain.

'Ah, what music your pitiful sounds make, Bill! Northman, I believe you and Compton have a score to settle? Go on, you go first with this imbecile,' Niall said, his tone slightly deferent as he remembered just what the Viking was capable of.

Eric stood with a murderous gleam in his eye and pulled Bill to a standing position, before he punched him with one thousand years worth of strength.

The result was horrendous for Bill and amusing for Niall and Sookie. Compton's right jaw was now dislocated and he was spitting out a profuse amount of blood as he writhed in pain on the floor. The telepath watched from a distance, standing beside Calixto. Pam, Gregory and Calliope as well as a few other vampires formed the rest of the transfixed audience.

'Get up, Compton! You're a fucking gutless coward!' Eric taunted.

'Yeah, get the fuck off the floor, you ugly-dressing retard!' Pam added.

'Weak rat! I can't believe you call yourself a king! _Vaffanculo, idiota_!' Gregory pitched in, his native Italian making an appearance in his speech.

'Oh and wait. Hey Bill. You suck in bed, by the way. Between you and Eric, no goddamn comparison, skills or equipment-wise!' Sookie yelled, very eager to add in her own verbal dose of Compton-hate.

The audience was beginning to grow, and the building crowd was adding in more insults for every second which Bill spent trying to regroup.

Once the Civil War vampire had finally stood up again, the Viking merely let his fist connect with the other side of his jaw, sending the Louisiana king reeling to the floor, his jaw now flopping at a rather unnatural angle.

Still unsatisfied, Eric pulled him up once more and this time punched him in the ribs with all the disdain he felt. The clear sound of Bill's ribs cracking was satisfying music to the Norse vampire's ears.

'I think it is my turn, Norseman?' Niall asked finally. Eric merely nodded his assent.

As soon as their little exchange was over, the Prince's face became positively predatory as he stood in front of Bill, a cruel smile on his lips.

'So Mr. Compton. I don't believe you know much about the rest of the Fae race, thus I will take it upon myself to educate you. For one, we are magical in ways that you would never understand,' Niall said, before he raised his hands upward. His nails had become tipped with silver, making the dark-haired vampire cringe.

'They're like little darts, aren't they? Ordinarily my nails do not sport such weaponry, but I think this calls for a special exemption, correct? Now, let's see how sharp they really are!' the Prince said, before he drove his nails into Bill's throat and lacerated the insides by twisting his hand slightly. The only response which Bill managed was a pitiful gurgle accompanied by some flailing due to the agony of the silver, with Eric digging his hand into the flesh of his shoulders to prevent him running.

'Hurts, doesn't it, Bill? To feel your flesh rending under my fingers, your throat getting mangled by the Prince. It's truly double the fun!' Eric enthused, before he pulled his hand away and took a chunk of Bill's flesh with it. The Prince did the same and withdrew his own hand.

Without Eric's hands in his shoulders, Bill fell to the floor once more.

'Let's see if we can pull something out, shall we?' Niall asked, his voice playful but lethal. The crowd watched as he knelt and stuck his hand into Bill's side, taking a rib with it as he pulled it out again. The pain was unrivaled, yet Compton was only able to let out a groan due to the damages of his throat.

'Serves you fucking right for betraying everyone here!' Sookie shouted, making no move to help her former boyfriend, who had now turned into a literal torture toy for Niall and Eric.

'Hmm. Nose broken, throat mangled, shoulders damaged, rib missing. Let's move down the path! Viking, would you like to do the honors?' Niall asked.

'I believe the one who will derive the most pleasure from the next part would be the females, Prince. Sookie, Pam, if you would? Please hurt him badly. I trust we will all enjoy whatever you both have in mind!' Eric said gleefully, looking at his two favorite women. The telepath had a look of happy rage on her face, while his progeny looked like a kid on Christmas morning.

Sookie signaled to Pam, and leaned in her ear to whisper.

'I'll zap it to a crisp, and then you can crush it with your heels. Good plan?'

'Perfect!' Pam enthused, before she stood to the side and waited with dark anticipation.

Sookie closed her eyes, before aiming at Bill's crotch and blasting it with a massive amount of power. The stench of burnt flesh immediately wafted into the air as Bill actually managed to let out a very small yell. Very satisfied, Sookie went over to stand near Eric.

Filled with lust at what he'd just witnessed, the Viking gave his bonded a long, wet kiss, before pulling away to watch his child. Pam walked slowly over to Bill and looked down at him.

'Let's get you dickless!' she said, before raising her heel and bringing it down on the area which Sookie had just zapped. The muted crunch made Pam smirk evilly, before she walked over to Eric and gave him a tight hug.

'Thank you, Eric. Best moment ever!' she said, making both the Viking and Sookie laugh in agreement.

The crowd continued to cheer, happy with Bill's complete debasement. Seeing the elation reflected in the eyes of his underlings and his mercenaries, Eric turned to address them.

'You all know me as a fair, generous Sheriff to those who serve me loyally, as well as a good leader to those who have been put under my command. You have truly helped me in my task, and I would like to reward you. We were outnumbered but we have prevailed, thanks to your assistance and skill. Before you is your betrayer, the king who sold you all out for 20 million dollars to Russell Edgington. Because of his betrayal, the 300 of you who came at my request have been reduced to 196. As your reward, and as a tribute for our many fallen comrades, you will be the ones who send him to his final death.'

The crowd erupted with replies.

'Thank you, Sheriff Northman!' the Area vampires shouted.

'Long live, Your Majesty!' the mercenaries yelled, likewise.

The Viking went over to Niall and Pam, enlisting his help in lifting Compton. Once they had Bill supported with their hands and arms, Eric issued another command.

'Everyone who can grab hold of even just a small part of his extremities, please do so now. The others unable to do so may still get the satisfaction of viewing,' he said, removing his hand as his underlings scrambled to get a hold of at least a small bit of Bill. Soon enough, Niall and Pam did the same, following Eric and resuming their previous places near Sookie.

Before long, Bill was supported like a tensioned string by the various hands that were holding and pulling his arms and legs. The entire crowd watched with delight for a second, before Eric's clear command rang out.

'Rip him apart!' he yelled, while Sookie clutched his arm.

As told, the vampires immediately pulled. In less than two seconds, Bill was nothing more than a pile of messy guts and blood on the floor of the bar. As before, Niall picked out Bill's signet ring from the remains, and held it out to Eric.

The Viking took it and raised it into the air for everyone to see, before he slipped it onto his right middle finger, in symmetry with the Mississippi signet ring on the middle finger of his left hand. Once he had done so, the crowd erupted in raucous applause, cheers and howls.

'Long live the King of Mississippi and Louisiana!' everyone said in unison, before the Louisiana vampires knelt and collectively offered their fealty, which Eric accepted. The mercenaries, along with Pam, Gregory, Anton, Calliope and the rest looked on.

'No more Bill,' Sookie said after a while, when things had calmed down a bit. Eric looked at his bonded with elated eyes.

'No more Bill indeed. Now, it is only you and me. See? I told you I was right,' the Viking said.

'About what?' she queried as she gazed up at her Norse vampire.

'I was right about us, my lover. We are bound.'

And then, amid the crowd, the damage and the activity inside Fangtasia, the thousand-year old warrior vampire leaned down for a kiss.

A/N So there you have it! The end of Russell, the utterly gory end of Bill and the end of this particular story. I already have something written for the sequel, though I'm not sure if this thing needs one. What do you guys think? Personally, I'm all for the sequel which is why I wrote something for it already. Who agrees? Anyway, of course I'd love to hear from you all regarding this chapter through a review. Particularly because this is the end chapter of this story and you must all have some thoughts, right?

To everyone, thanks for accompanying me on this epic journey!


	16. Note

This is not an update, but rather just a note to inform everyone that the sequel for this story has already been long posted. Just check out my profile and click the link for the next story. Thanks by the way to everyone for reading, and all the long, amazing reviews.

That said, it looks like the sequel is getting long reviews as the norm. Have I recently mentioned how awesome you all are? I really love you guys.

So, see you all in the sequel and happy reading over there. I take a bow to you all for everything you've shared, told me in PMs or sent as a review. I look forward to your continued presence and meaningful input.


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